Journal article
Determination of Adult Critical Care Physician Core Knowledge and Skills: Results of a Multidisciplinary, Modified Delphi Process
Critical care medicine, Vol.54(2), pp.224-233
02/2026
DOI: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000006978
PMID: 41363909
Abstract
In the United States, training for physicians who manage critically ill adult patients (intensivists) evolved through parallel subspecialty critical care medicine (CCM) pathways with significant commonality. The Society of Critical Care Medicine Adult Critical Care Physician Core Knowledge and Skills Task Force aimed to delineate the common core knowledge and skills required of all intensivists.
A master list of content areas and procedural skills was compiled from all CCM subspecialty program requirements and blueprints of the certification examinations. Using a modified Delphi approach, participants were asked to categorize the knowledge items as "advanced knowledge is essential," "general, but not advanced, knowledge is essential," or "knowledge is not essential." Procedures were categorized as "intensivist performs routinely," "intensivist only performs in an emergency," or "intensivist knows" about the procedure.
Representatives from CCM stakeholder organizations, including accreditation and certification organizations, critical care societies, and program directors' societies, were invited to participate.
Members of the Adult Critical Care Physician Core Knowledge and Skills Task Force of the Society of Critical Care Medicine.
For the first two rounds of the modified Delphi process, Research Electronic Data Capture was used. For the third and fourth rounds, the process was completed through online meetings with Zoom (Zoom Video Corporations, San Jose, CA) utilizing Zoom's polling feature.
A total of 541 items were determined to be essential, with 145 requiring advanced knowledge and 323 requiring general knowledge. For 73 items, consensus regarding advanced vs. general could not be achieved, but they remained essential. Only eight items were felt to be nonessential. Of the 16 procedures, most were categorized as "intensivist performs."
The large number of items included in the list of essential knowledge and skills demonstrates the complexity of modern CCM. Utilization of a common framework across the subspecialties of CCM could lead to greater harmonization among the fellowship program requirements and certification examinations.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Determination of Adult Critical Care Physician Core Knowledge and Skills: Results of a Multidisciplinary, Modified Delphi Process
- Creators
- Samuel A Tisherman - University of Maryland, BaltimoreAntoinette Spevetz - Cooper University HospitalJ Christopher Farmer - Mayo Clinic in ArizonaRahul Kashyap - WellSpan HealthEd Michener - Society of Critical Care MedicineStefan W Leichtle - Inova Fairfax HospitalRoshni Sreedharan - Cleveland ClinicSamantha S Strickler - Emory UniversityCherylee W J Chang - Duke UniversityAngel Coz Yataco - Cleveland ClinicJoseph Cuschieri - University of California, San FranciscoDavid Dudzinski - Harvard UniversityTimothy Ellender - Indiana University – Purdue University IndianapolisLillian L Emlet - University of PittsburghBrenda G Fahy - University of FloridaBram J Geller - MaineHealthErin Hennessey - University of VirginiaKrista L Kaups - California State University, FresnoMark T Keegan - Mayo Clinic in ArizonaMay M Lee - University of Southern CaliforniaDeepa Malaiyandi - University of ToledoChristopher P Michetti - University of Maryland, BaltimoreNicholas M Mohr - University of IowaVivek K Moitra - Columbia UniversityKevin O'Neil - Pulmonary Division, Wilmington Health, Wilmington, NCTina L Palmieri - Shriners Hospitals for Children - Northern CaliforniaPauline K Park - University of MichiganAbhijit Pathak - Temple UniversityP B Raksin - John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook CountyAngela Hays Shapshak - University of Alabama at BirminghamShahla Siddiqui - Harvard UniversityDeborah M Stein - University of Maryland, BaltimoreShelly D Timmons - Medical College of WisconsinPaul M Vespa - University of California, Los AngelesBrian T Wessman - Washington University in St. LouisErica D Wittwer - Mayo Clinic in ArizonaAdult Critical Care Physician Core Knowledge and Skills Task Force of the Society of Critical Care Medicine
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Critical care medicine, Vol.54(2), pp.224-233
- DOI
- 10.1097/CCM.0000000000006978
- PMID
- 41363909
- NLM abbreviation
- Crit Care Med
- ISSN
- 1530-0293
- eISSN
- 1530-0293
- Publisher
- LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS
- Grant note
- Society of Critical Care Medicine
Supported by grant from the Society of Critical Care Medicine.
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 12/09/2025
- Date published
- 02/2026
- Academic Unit
- Epidemiology; Emergency Medicine; Anesthesia; Injury Prevention Research Center
- Record Identifier
- 9985090585902771
Metrics
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