A coach of my own

Abstract

This personal view about medical student self-feedback is based on personal experiences as a third-year medical student with insights from a director of undergraduate medical education for a department of medicine. We highlight the importance of adult-learning theory in the clinical arena, and suggest that the application of self-regulated learning theory during clinical clerkships may contribute to increased student engagement and partnership in learning.     

How does feedback from patients impact upon healthcare student clinical skill development and learning? A systematic review

Background: A key feature of health professionals’ training, irrespective of discipline, is the acquisition and application of clinical and communication skills. Despite this, little is known about the potential role of patient feedback on this process. This systematic review aimed to answer the question: How does feedback from patients impact upon healthcare student clinical skill development and learning?

Design: Systematic review of published literature.

Methods: Electronic databases were searched for studies that explored the effects of patient feedback on student learning and were published before March 2016. Eligible articles underwent methodological evaluation using the McMaster University Critical Evaluation Forms and data extraction.

Results: A total of 237 articles were retrieved following searches of electronic databases and hand searches of reference lists. Twelve (7 quantitative, 2 qualitative, 3 mixed methods) studies met the inclusion criteria. Eleven studies reported that patient feedback improved students’ clinical skills.

Conclusion: Minimal research has explored the impact of patient feedback on student learning. The research to date suggests that direct feedback from patients may be beneficial for the development of students’ communication and clinical skills; however, the wide variety of evaluation methods and the lack of validated tools for patients to provide feedback suggest that further exploration is warranted.     

Challenges of feedback provision in the workplace: A qualitative study of emergency medicine residents and teachers

Background: Feedback is an effective pedagogical tool in clinical teaching and learning, but is often perceived as unsatisfactory. Little is known about the effect of a busy clinical environment on feedback-giving and -seeking behaviors. This study aims to determine the perceptions and challenges of feedback provision in a busy clinical setting, exemplified by an emergency department (ED).

Methods: A qualitative semi-structured interview study design was employed. Thirty-six participants (18 attending physicians, 18 residents) were purposively sampled from three EDs in northern Taiwan between August 2015 and July 2016. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed thematically.

Results: Three major themes were identified with illustrative quotes: (1) the balance between patient safety and providing feedback, (2) variability in feedback, and (3) influential factors, barriers and enablers.

Conclusions: In real practice, clinical duties competed with the impulse to provide feedback. The variety and complexity of feedback extended beyond style and content. Clinical and contextual factors – some of which may be presented as barriers – influenced how, when and whether a teacher or learner decided to give or seek feedback.     

Influences on the implementation of Mini-CEX and DOPS for postgraduate medical trainees’ learning: A grounded theory study

Abstract

Introduction: In order for Mini-Clinical Evaluation Exercise (Mini-CEX) and Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS) to actually have a positive effect on trainees’ learning, the way in which the tools are implemented is of key importance. However, there are many factors influencing their implementation. In this study, we aim to develop a comprehensive model of such factors.

Methods: Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, we performed eight focus groups. Participants were postgraduate trainees and supervisors from three different specialties; all were experienced with Mini-CEX and/or DOPS. Data were analyzed for recurring themes, underlying concepts and their interactions using constant comparison.

Results: We developed a model demonstrating how the implementation of Mini-CEX and DOPS for trainees’ learning is influenced by 13 factors relating to four categories: organizational culture (e.g. value of teaching and feedback), work structure (e.g. time for Mini-CEX and DOPS, faculty development), instruments (e.g. content of assessment), and users (e.g. relationship between trainees and supervisors), and their interaction.

Conclusions: We developed a complex model of influencing factors relating to four categories. Consideration of this model might support successful implementation and trainees’ learning with Mini-CEX and DOPS.     

From good to excellent: Improving clinical departments’ learning climate in residency training

Introduction: The improvement of clinical departments’ learning climate is central to achieving high-quality residency training and patient care. However, improving the learning climate can be challenging given its complexity as a multi-dimensional construct. Distinct representations of the dimensions might create different learning climate groups across departments and may require varying efforts to achieve improvement. Therefore, this study investigated: (1) whether distinct learning climate groups could be identified and (2) whether contextual factors could explain variation in departments’ learning climate performance.

Methods: This study included departments that used the Dutch Residency Educational Climate Test (D-RECT) through a web-based system in 2014–2015. Latent profile analysis was used to identify learning climate groups and multilevel modeling to predict clinical departments’ learning climate performance.

Results: The study included 1730 resident evaluations. Departments were classified into one of the four learning climate groups: substandard, adequate, good and excellent performers. The teaching status of the hospital, departments’ average teaching performance and percentage of time spent on educational activities by faculty-predicted departments’ learning climate performance.

Discussion: Clinical departments can be successfully classified into informative learning climate groups. Ideally, given informative climate grouping with potential for cross learning, the departments could embark on targeted performance improvement.     

Revisiting the D-RECT tool: Validation of an instrument measuring residents’ learning climate perceptions

Introduction: Credible evaluation of the learning climate requires valid and reliable instruments in order to inform quality improvement activities. Since its initial validation the Dutch Residency Educational Climate Test (D-RECT) has been increasingly used to evaluate the learning climate, yet it has not been tested in its final form and on the actual level of use – the department.

Aim: Our aim was to re-investigate the internal validity and reliability of the D-RECT at the resident and department levels.

Methods: D-RECT evaluations collected during 2012–2013 were included. Internal validity was assessed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Reliability was assessed using generalizability theory.

Results: In total, 2306 evaluations and 291 departments were included. Exploratory factor analysis showed a 9-factor structure containing 35 items: teamwork, role of specialty tutor, coaching and assessment, formal education, resident peer collaboration, work is adapted to residents’ competence, patient sign-out, educational atmosphere, and accessibility of supervisors. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated acceptable to good fit. Three resident evaluations were needed to assess the overall learning climate reliably and eight residents to assess the subscales.

Conclusion: This study reaffirms the reliability and internal validity of the D-RECT in measuring residency training learning climate. Ongoing evaluation of the instrument remains important.     

Medical students’ opinions on professional behaviours: The Professionalism of Medical Students’ (PoMS) study

Abstract

Introduction: The Professionalism of Medical Students (PoMS) study aimed to develop a comprehensive understanding of Australian and New Zealand (Aus/NZ) medical students’ opinions and experience with professionalism dilemmas.

Methods: A confidential, online survey for medical students was developed and distributed to all Aus/NZ medical schools. Students submitted de-identified demographic information, gave opinions on the acceptability of a range of student behaviours for professionally challenging situations, and whether they had encountered similar situations.

Results: 3171 medical students participated from all 21 Aus/NZ medical schools (16% of the total student population). Medical students reported encountering many of the professionally challenging situations and had varying opinions on what was acceptable behaviour for the scenarios. In general, students’ opinions were not influenced by the seniority, gender or the type of health professional involved in the scenario. Participant demographic factors appeared to have significant effects on professional opinions – particularly male gender and being a student in the latter stages of the course.

Discussion: Medical students’ professional opinions are a complex area. The PoMS data provides a reference point for students, their educators and other health professionals in identifying current student professional behaviour norms, determining the effects of demographic factors on their decision making, and where important gaps exist in medical students’ approaches to professionalism.     

What works best in a general practice specific OSCE for medical students: Mini-CEX or content-related checklists?

Abstract

Aim: To develop and pilot a General Practice (GPr) OSCE assessing medical students dealing with patient encounters, which are typical for GPr and to compare different measurement instruments (global ratings, content-specific checklists).

Methods: A blueprint based on Entrusted Professional Activities was used to develop prototypical OSCE stations. Four stations were tested with voluntary medical students. Students were videotaped and assessed with self-developed content-specific checklists, a global rating for communication skills, and mini-CEX. Results were compared according to students’ phases of studies.

Results: All three measurements were able to discriminate between clinical and pre-clinical students. Clearest results were achieved by using mini-CEX. Content-specific checklists were not able to differentiate between those groups for the more difficult stations. Inter-station reliability for the global ratings was sufficient for high-stakes exams. Students enjoyed the OSCE-setting simulating GPr consultation hours. They would prefer feedback from GPs after the OSCE and from simulated patients after each encounter.

Discussion and conclusion: Although the OSCE was short, results indicate advantages for using a global rating instead of checklists. Further research should include validating these results with a larger group of students and to find the threshold during the phases of education for switching from checklists to global ratings.     

Red,yellow and green: What does it mean? How the progress test informs and supports student progress

Objectives: Most medical schools using progress tests (PTs) provide feedback by utilizing a traffic-light system of green (satisfactory), yellow (borderline) and red (unsatisfactory) categories. There is little research assessing students’ perceptions or usage of this feedback. Therefore this study proposed to determine the effectiveness of formative PTs at informing and supporting student progress.

Methods: A mixed methods study was performed, involving a retrospective analysis of a results database to establish the predictive validity of PT categories and 11 semi-structured interviews to explore students’ perceptions of PT feedback in a graduate entry medical programme.

Results: Quantitative analysis revealed that students who always scored green performed better in their summative exams and graduated with a higher final degree than those who received a yellow or red category at least once. Qualitative analysis revealed that just over half of the interviewed students perceived the PT as having informed their progress. Most participants agreed that the current feedback is insufficient and doesn’t guide their on-going learning.

Conclusion: While this study demonstrated that the PT is a useful predictive tool for informing student progress, in its current format it’s not fulfilling a truly formative role and supporting student progress sufficiently.     

Development and alignment of undergraduate medical curricula in a web-based,dynamic Learning Opportunities,Objectives and Outcome Platform (LOOOP)

Introduction: This study presents a web-based method and its interface ensuring alignment of all parts of a curriculum map including competencies, objectives, teaching and assessment methods, workload and patient availability. Needs, acceptance and effectiveness are shown through a nine-year study.

Methods: After a comprehensive needs assessment, the curriculum map and a web-based interface “Learning Opportunities, Objectives and Outcome Platform” (LOOOP) were developed according to Harden’s conceptual framework of 10-steps for curriculum mapping. The outcome was measured by surveys and results of interdisciplinary MCQ-assessments. The usage rates and functionalities were analysed.

Results: The implementation of LOOOP was significantly associated with improved perception of the curriculum structure by teachers and students, quality of defined objectives and their alignment with teaching and assessment, usage by students to prepare examinations and their scores in interdisciplinary MCQ-assessment. Additionally, LOOOP improved the curriculum coordination by faculty, and assisted departments for identifying patient availability for clinical training.

Conclusion: LOOOP is well accepted among students and teachers, has positive effect on curriculum development, facilitates effective utilisation of educational resources and improves student’s outcomes. Currently, LOOOP is used in five undergraduate medical curricula including 85,000 mapped learning opportunities (lectures, seminars), 5000 registered users (students, teachers) and 380,000 yearly page-visits.     

Factors that influence medical student learning in the operating room

Introduction: The operating room (OR) is a dynamic, high-pressure clinical setting that offers a unique workplace-based learning environment for students. We undertook a narrative synthesis of the literature to identify factors that influence medical student learning in the OR, and we recommend educational strategies that maximize “theater-based learning”.

Methods: Key words were searched across three databases PubMed, EMBASE and ERIC (Education Resource Information Center). Eligible studies included original articles published after 1997 presenting empirical research on factors that influence medical students learning in the OR. Methodological quality was measured using the Newcastle-Ottawa Score for education.

Results: We identified 764 studies on the topic of student learning in the OR, of which 16 studies fulfilled inclusion criteria. The quality assessments demonstrated a mean value of 2.1 out of a maximum of 6.

Conclusions: We identified five key domains that influence student learning in the OR: emotional factors, socio-environmental factors, organizational factors, factors related to educational relevance and factors related to the educator. Educational strategies to enhance theater-based learning include: an induction and physical orientation, clear learning objectives, educator feedback, and simulation.     

Comparison of ambulatory and inpatient experiences in five specialties

This study compared medical student evaluations of ambulatory and inpatient components of third-year clerkships in internal medicine, obstetrics/gynaecology, paediatrics, psychiatry, and surgery. Seventy-two students completed evaluation questionnaires at the conclusion of each of five clerkships over 12 months. Although ambulatory and inpatient evaluations were comparable across all five specialties in several areas, ambulatory education was rated more favorably in scheduling, clear definition of student roles and responsibilities, appropriate supervision, timely and constructive feedback, being welcomed, and working in a non-threatening environment.Student feedback thus implied that ambulatory experiences were comparable to, or better than, inpatient experiences and suggests areas for improving clinical education in inpatient settings.     

Mind the gap: Teachers’ conceptions of student-staff partnership and its potential to enhance educational quality

Abstract

Introduction: Student-staff partnerships as a concept to improve medical education have received a growing amount of attention. Such partnerships are collaborations in which students and teachers seek to improve education by each adding their unique contribution to decision-making and implementation processes. Although previous research has demonstrated that students are favourable to this concept, teachers remain hesitant. The present study investigated teachers’ conceptions of student-staff partnerships and of the prerequisites that are necessary to render such partnerships successful and enhance educational quality.

Method: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 14 course coordinators who lead course design teams and also teach in 4 bachelor health programmes, using Bovill and Bulley’s levels of student participation as sensitising concepts during data analysis.

Results: The results pointed to three different conceptions of student-staff partnerships existing among teachers: Teachers teach and students study; teachers teach and value students’ feedback; and teachers and students co-create. The prerequisites for effective co-creation teachers identified were: Teachers must be open to involve students and create dialogues; students must be motivated and have good communication skills; the organisation must be supportive; and teachers should have the final say.

Conclusion: We conclude that teachers’ conceptions are consistent with Bovill and Bulley’s levels of student participation. Under certain conditions, teachers are willing to co-create and reach the highest levels of student participation.     

Team up! Linking teamwork effectiveness of clinical teaching teams to residents’ experienced learning climate

Abstract

Background: Supportive learning climates are key to ensure high-quality residency training. Clinical teachers, collaborating as teaching team, have an important role in maintaining such climates since they are responsible for residency training. Successful residency training is dependent on effective teamwork within teaching teams. Still, it remains unclear whether this team effort benefits residents’ perceptions of the learning climate. We, therefore, investigated to what extent teamwork effectiveness within teaching teams is associated with (1) the overall learning climate, and (2) its affective, cognitive and instrumental facets?

Methods: This study used a web-based platform to collect data in clinical departments in the Netherlands from January 2014 to May 2017. Teamwork effectiveness was measured with the TeamQ questionnaire, administered amongst clinical teachers. The learning climate was measured with the D-RECT, applied amongst residents. Associations were analyzed using multilevel models and multivariate general linear models.

Results: Teamwork effectiveness was positively associated with the overall learning climate as well as with the affective and the instrumental facets of the learning climate. No significant associations were found with the cognitive facet.

Conclusion: Effective teamwork within teaching teams benefits learning climates in postgraduate medical education. Therefore, departments aiming to improve their learning climate should target teamwork within teaching teams.     

An international study on teachers’ conceptions of learning and teaching and corresponding teacher profiles

Abstract

Introduction: Teachers’ conceptions of learning and teaching (COLT) affect their teaching behaviour. The 18 item COLT instrument has been developed in the Netherlands and comprises three scales, ‘teacher centredness’, ‘appreciation of active learning’ and ‘orientation to professional practice’. Previously we found five teacher profiles. The aim of this study was to find out if the COLT instrument can be used in an international setting.

Methods: Data were collected with the web-based COLT. Cronbach’s alphas of the three COLT scales were calculated. Subsequently a cluster analysis was conducted to identify different teacher profiles, followed by a split half validation procedure.

Results: Respondents (n?=?708) worked in 28 countries. Cronbach’s alphas were 0.67, 0.54, and 0.66. A six-cluster solution fitted best, based on meaning and explained variance. The sixth teacher profile scored high on ‘teacher centredness’, average on ‘appreciation of active learning’ and low on ‘orientation to professional practice’. The split half validation resulted in a Cohen’s kappa of 0.744.

Discussion: Cronbach’s alphas indicated acceptable reliablities for all three subscales. The new, sixth profile was labelled ‘neo-transmitter’.

Conclusion: We found evidence supporting the validity of the use of COLT in an international context and identified a new, sixth teacher profile.     

Students perceive skills learned in pre-clerkship PBL valuable in core clinical rotations

Abstract

Purpose: Problem-based learning (PBL) is an instructional method widely used by medical educators that promotes an environment in which students effectively learn the foundational knowledge and skills that are prerequisites for graduation. This study evaluated medical students’ perceptions of the helpfulness of skills acquired in PBL to core clerkship rotations.

Methods: A 25-item survey was designed to assess students’ perceptions of skills learned in PBL that were helpful on core clerkships and transferable to the clinical setting. A random sample of students with at least 8?months of clerkship experience were invited to complete the survey.

Results: Of 68 students, 35 (52%) returned questionnaires. Results suggest a clustering of themes based on their perceived value. Skills learned in PBL that students rated most highly as helpful or very helpful during core clinical rotations include: comfort discussing concepts, identifying key information, presentation skills, interpersonal skills, diagnostic thinking, finding information, self-awareness, and organizing information. Other items rated highly included: forming questions, time management, primary literature (engaging with published original research articles), and leadership. The skills acquired in PBL were associated with multiple competency domains.

Conclusions: Although conditions of the pre-clerkship curriculum are substantially different from the learning environment of clerkship rotations, skills learned in PBL are perceived as applicable to authentic clinical training.