Mapping competencies of family physicians in primary healthcare: a scoping review

OBJECTIVE: To map the available evidence on the competencies of family physicians in primary healthcare (PHC). DESIGN: A scoping review was conducted following the methodology of the Joanna Briggs Institute. The results were grouped into thematic categories and reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Include documents published from 2010 to 2025 in English, Spanish and Portuguese that were available in full text and responded to the research question. INFORMATION SOURCES: Using PubMed, LILACS and Scopus databases. The snowball methodology was employed to expand the search. RESULTS: A total of 1754 studies were identified, and several competencies were grouped into eight categories: communication, knowledge management, health promotion, information and communications technology, clinical and administrative management, community-oriented and public health-oriented care, teaching and research, focused on PHC. A set of interrelated components enriches each category. CONCLUSIONS: Although the competency-based approach is not new, this review provides an updated and integrated framework that highlights eight interrelated competency domains essential for family physicians in PHC. The findings support its use in curriculum development, professional evaluation and future research aimed at strengthening primary care systems through a more strategic and people-centred workforce.