Update of the ERS international Adult Respiratory Medicine syllabus for postgraduate training

Tabin, Nathalie; Mitchell, Sharon; O’Connell, Elaine; Stolz, Daiana; Rohde, Gernot

Needs assessment, often defined as a situational analysis, is a systematic process aimed at identifying and prioritising needs; collecting and analysing information; making informed, needs-based decisions; allocating resources; and implementing actions to resolve problems underlying important needs [4, 5] . Ury et al. [6] outline that needs assessment is a vital component in the infancy stages of any curriculum design, forming part of the foundational platform on which a working curriculum is built; however, it does not end after implementation. Instead, it is an ongoing process "which continues to provide important and useful information and feedback that ensures the sustainability of the curriculum" [6] . Using a range of different methods, such as questionnaire surveys, focus groups, interviews and the notable Delphi method, a needs assessment has come to be recognised as a necessary and worthwhile endeavour in curriculum planning and development. Given the proven merits of the Delphi method, it was the intention of the ERS task force to employ this form of needs assessment to both inform and prioritise certain needs based upon the results of the situational analysis as well as ascertaining the specifics of what should be included within an Adult Respiratory Medicine training programme.