Focusing on "Precision" in Precision Education

Abstract

Precision medicine has been described in the literature as a new approach to health care delivery, prompting those in health professions education (HPE) to explore and articulate how this paradigm might be realized as "precision education." In this Scholarly Perspective, the authors critically examine the multifaceted dimensions of precision, exploring its implications across varied aspects of HPE.Precision can refer to many things, including degrees of accuracy, consistency, fidelity, exactitude, clarity and meticulousness. There are also many approaches to precision in HPE, including precision in personalized learning opportunities and educational trajectories; precision in instructional and assessment methods; precision in data, analytics, and evaluation (where most focus has been); precision in admissions, credentialing, and hiring; precision in the learning environment; precision in systems; and precision in meeting social accountability, workforce needs, and other external drivers.While pursuing precision in specific aspects of HPE may achieve localized gains, it is likely to result in a net decrease in precision across the broader HPE system. Precision inherently comes with limitations, trade-offs, and complexities that can undermine its practicality or even its effectiveness in certain contexts. Scholars and educators are encouraged to consider what aspects and levels of precision are desirable and worth pursuing, and to be ready and able to engage in a broader and more nuanced dialogue about precision education in HPE.