A Scoping Review of Adaptability in Health Professions Education

Objective(s): Physical therapists work in high stress and dynamic environments. Successful adaptation to this environment requires developing adaptable skills and competencies. This review aimed to develop broader understanding of how adaptability, individual adaptability, and adaptive performance are related and conceptualized in health profession education (HPE) literature.

Data Sources: A systematic search of electronic databases was conducted, including PUBMED, EMBASE, WEB OF SCIENCE, and CINAHL. Search utilized appropriate MeSH terms and keywords related to adaptability, individual adaptability, and adaptive performance in HPE.

Study Selection: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), two independent reviewers screened titles and abstracts of retrieved studies. Out of the initially retrieved 2815 studies, 11 met the inclusion criteria.

Data Extraction: Data charting of each article involved extracting author name(s), publication year, country of origin, type of study design, aim of the study, type of concept studied, definition of concepts, outcome measure(s) used to assess the outcome of interest and the target population studied (when applicable).

Data Synthesis: Studies were published between 2011- 2022, in Europe (8), United States (2), and Australia (1). The common theme in the definition of adaptability is a proficient response to changes involving adjustment of behavior in the face of novel or uncertain situations and can be cognitive, behavioral, and/or affective. Adaptive performance places emphasis on the behaviors that are relevant to organizational goals and focuses on how individuals alter their behaviors in response to changing demands of new tasks. The conceptual frameworks identified in this review were work performance conceptual frameworks, task performance, contextual performance, and counterproductive work behavior frameworks. Nine of the ten assessment scales identified in this review were self-assessment scales with only one allowing an objective rating from a supervisor which all varied in assessed behaviors.

Conclusions: Adaptability, individual adaptability, and adaptive performance are different concepts. This review underscores the need for new frameworks designed specifically to better conceptualize adaptability, individual adaptability, and adaptive performance in HPE. There are several limitations in how these concepts are measured.

Author(s) Disclosures: NONE