The Clinical Field Assessment (CFA) is a 12-week competency assessment that occurs outside of the community to which the physician is recruited. The CFA involves direct and indirect candidate supervision and evaluation of patient care by SIPPA approved physician faculty. The CFA candidate evaluation occurs in multiple settings (ambulatory/clinic, ER, hospital inpatient ward and long term care) and involves multiple assessors and typically will occur in more than one community. SIPPA does not specify a minimum or maximum number of assessments in each specific practice setting; rather, it is expected that candidates will be assessed in the typical practice settings that the physician assessor works in.
After an orientation to the CFA site, including local and regional healthcare services, candidates are assessed to determine their “practice readiness.” Candidate assessment encompasses a global review of practice including communication skills, information gathering, learning techniques, prescribing, case management and readiness for independent practice. Candidates are assessed at the level of A CANADIAN TRAINED FAMILY PHYSICIAN ENTERING PRACTICE.
The reference document for evaluating competence in the CFA is 'Defining competence for the purposes of certification by the College of Family Physicians of Canada: the evaluation objectives in family medicine.'
Candidate performance is reported using:
- Clinical Encounter Field Note
- Virtual Care Assessment Note
- Chart Review Field Note
- Procedure Field Note
- Summary Evaluation Report