Professional competencies in health promotion and public health: what is common and what is specific? Review of the European debate and perspectives for professional development.
According to the Nairobi Call to Action, the growth of practitioners' skills can be favoured by setting accreditation standards and by reorienting professional competencies of current and future health workers. This will make it possible to develop a critical mass of competent practitioners, foster training, and increase visibility of the professional field. Through a review of the literature, the authors offer an overview of competency-based strategies for professional development in health promotion. The main research questions discussed were as follows: Is there a shared definition of public health?; Is there a shared definition of health promotion?; Who are the main stakeholders for public health and health promotion in Europe?; What is the meaning of professional competencies in education and practice for public health and health promotion?; Is there a shared system of professional core competencies in public health and health promotion?;What is common and what is specific between the two systems of professional competencies?; Is it useful and feasible to create specific strategies of professional development for public health and health promotion? A transformative use of competencies makes it possible to inform students, professionals, employers, and political decision-makers about what is expected from a specific profession and its values.
Dip. Sanità pubblica, medicina clinica e molecolare, Università di Cagliari, Italy.
Alessandra
A
Mereu
Dip. Sanità pubblica, medicina clinica e molecolare, Università di Cagliari, Italy.
Alessandra
A
Sotgiu
Dip. Medicina molecolare, Università di Padova, Italy.
Alessandra
A
Buja
Università di Palermo, Italy.
Alessandra
A
Casuccio
ASL 3 Liguria.
Rosaria
R
Cecconi
Università di L'Aquila, Italy.
Leila
L
Fabiani
AUSL Bologna, Italy.
Emilia
E
Guberti
Dip. Scienze salute, Università di Firenze, Italy.
Chiara
C
Lorini
Università di Perugia, Italy.
Liliana
L
Minelli
Centro sperimentale promozione della salute ed educazione sanitaria, Dip. Medicina sperimentale, Università di Perugia, Italy.
Giancarlo
G
Pocetta
Dip. Sanità pubblica, medicina clinica e molecolare, Università di Cagliari, Italy. contumail@gmail.com.|Coordinator of the Health Promotion WG.
Paolo
P
Contu
D000068:Accreditation / Q000592:standards*; D002983:Clinical Competence; D032921:Consensus; D005060:Europe; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education; D006291:Health Policy; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D011361:Professional Competence / Q000592:standards*; D011634:Public Health / Q000193:education; D012581:Schools, Public Health / Q000458:organization & administration