The Progress Test of the European Hematology Association: A New Tool for Continuous Learning

Abstract

The European Hematology Curriculum, first launched in 2006, was created by the European Hematology Association (EHA) with the aim of harmonizing hema tology training in Europe. Its goals were to define the different areas hematologists are expected to cover during their training, and to establish the minimum recommended levels of competence that a hematology trainee should attain. EHA's education platform (EHA Campus) offers opportu nities for continuous learning for both trainees and specialists. Content is guided by the European Hematology Curriculum, which provides a structure for individual study and self-assess ment. To complete this organized learning environment, a tool for objective assessment of knowledge during and after specialist training was needed. In the spring of 2020, EHA started offering a progress test: a longitudinal test based on equivalent evalua tions given at fixed intervals, assessing developments in knowl edge. The EHA Progress Test was inspired by an earlier version developed by the Swedish Hematology Association in 2013, which has become widely used by specialist trainees and spe cialists in Sweden. Noticeable pedagogical effects, like targeted study efforts in weak knowledge areas, changes in clinical rota tions, and more have been reported in personal questionnaires.