Exploration of Factors Influencing Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctor’s Competency Using Structural Equation Model

Background: Traditional Chinese medicine doctors have traditional advantages in the treatment of non-disease, basic medical treatment, chronic disease treatment, health care and rehabilitation. This research is to find the competency of TCM doctor using structural equation model and help to select proper candidate of TCM doctor. Results: Based on the items extracted from competency theory, the data of 400 TCM doctors in Hangzhou, Guangzhou and Wuhan were identified by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). On this basis, the interaction among the factors is analyzed, and the competency model is established by using the structural equation model (SEM). A total of 21 projects were identified as critical to TCM doctor capability, which were further tested and attributed to five factors: (1) professional value attitude; (2) basic medical knowledge; (3) communication skills; (4) clinical skills; (5) information management. The subsequent analysis shows that all factors have a significant impact on a person's ability, and ability contributes the most to the formation of a person's ability, while the intermediary role of personal characteristics and thinking can not be ignored in theory or practice. The results show that the competency model composed of these three factors has the same structure as the classic competency model. Conclusion: This study presented a tentative approach for assessing clinical management assistant's competency, as well as emphasized to the managers the criteria to find and evaluate a TCM doctor.