Healthcare Finance Cases as a Pedagogy for Advancing a Competency Based Education

Abstract

Both the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) and The Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) Revised Criteria for Undergraduate Certification require a competency based approach to healthcare education. A competency based approach requires clearly established learning outcomes, ability to assess master of outcomes, and flexibility with time and method of student involvement. Cases provide an opportunity to establish a learning environment which supports a competency based approach. Success with the case approach depends on the instructor appropriately tailoring the learning environment to the students and the specific educational program.

This article extols the case approach as a pedagogy for advancing a competency based healthcare education. It discusses a variety of curriculum structure factors and teaching strategies for creating a successful learning environment. The article then compares various features of two healthcare accounting/finance casebooks, one a classic casebook originally authored by Louis C. Gapenski and the second a new casebook by the article author.