Curriculum change management models in health professions education: A scoping review

Curriculum change in Health Professions Education (HPE) is necessary to prepare graduates for the emerging and complex challenges of healthcare systems. Change management models offer systematic approaches to facilitate change; however, their application in HPE remains insufficiently understood. Therefore, this scoping review aims to identify the change management models used in HPE curricular reforms, characterize how these models have been applied, and map the reported enablers, barriers, and implementation strategies. A comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, ERIC, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for English-language studies published between January 2000 and April 2025 using Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology and PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Two independent reviewers screened records using Rayyan, resolving discrepancies through consensus. Data were extracted from eligible peer-reviewed articles reporting the use of change management models in undergraduate/postgraduate medical, dental, nursing, and allied health education. Analysis involved descriptive qualitative content analysis, with findings presented through a narrative synthesis. Of 1,811 records, 21 studies were included. Seventeen change management models were identified, with Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model being the most frequent. Models were primarily used in high-resource settings, with most uses focusing on curricular elements in isolation. Reported enablers included structured frameworks, stakeholder engagement, guiding coalition formation, and creating a sense of urgency, whereas key barriers included workload and resource constraints, and challenges in communicating vision to diverse stakeholders. Strategies included incremental change approaches, multi-model integration, and strengthened coalition structures. No single change management model was found to be universally sufficient for HPE settings. Change models in HPE have rarely been applied in ways that address all facets of a complex adaptive system. The identified gaps highlight a need for HPE-specific, flexible, and context-responsive change models applicable across diverse settings and adaptable to the evolving healthcare landscape for long-term sustainability.