Portfolios in medical education: A scientometric mapping of the research field

Introduction

Competency-based medical education (CBME) faces assessment challenges, necessitating tools to collect evidence across various domains and levels. Portfolios, a learner-driven collection of evidence enriched through reflective practices, have emerged as a solution. Despite their importance, the research field of portfolios in medical education lacks a structured approach. Hence, our aim was to analyze publications indexed in the Web of Science database from 1994 to 2022 related to portfolios in medical education.

Material and methods

A scientometric mapping study was conducted using publications from the Web of Science database. The search strategy targeted articles or reviews on portfolios in medical education from 1994 to 2022. Data analysis involved performance analysis, conceptual structure analyses, thematic evolution analysis, and identification of emerging trends using bibliometric indicators and visualization tools.

Results

There was an annual growth rate of 9.28% in publications related to portfolios in medical education. The United States, United Kingdom, and Netherlands emerged as the leading contributors. The themes identified included CBME, assessment, e-portfolios, professionalism, and lifelong learning. Thematic evolution analysis highlighted shifts in research, with portfolios initially supporting CBME and later being utilized for entrustable professional activities (EPAs).

Conclusion

Portfolios have become integral to medical education, supporting CBME and facilitating the implementation of EPAs. The study underscores the need for expanded global research to enhance the generalizability and applicability of portfolios across diverse regions. Future research should focus on integrating portfolios more systematically into educational programs and exploring the integration of artificial intelligence to enhance decision-making processes based on portfolios.