Challenges of providing timely feedback to residents: Faculty perspectives (original) (raw)

Bridging the gap to effective feedback in residency training: perceptions of trainees and teachers

BMC Medical Education

Background: Clinical feedback is an important part of residency training, yet literature suggests this complex interaction is not completely understood. In particular, little is known about what resident versus attending physicians expect as feedback. This study investigates this gap in knowledge by examining differences in interactions that residents and attendings view as feedback. Methods: Surveys containing sample clinical feedback scenarios were distributed to residents and attending physicians in emergency medicine and general surgery at a large academic medical center. Respondents were asked to decide whether useful feedback was provided in each scenario, and responses were compared between the two groups. Continuous features were summarized with medians, interquartile ranges (IQRs), and ranges; categorical features were summarized with frequency counts and percentages. Comparisons of features between residents and attendings were evaluated using Wilcoxon rank sum, chi-square, and Fisher exact tests. Statistical analyses were performed using version 9.4 of the SAS software package (SAS Institute, Inc.; Cary, NC). All tests were two-sided and p-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Seventy-two individuals responded to the survey out of approximately 110 invitations sent (65%), including 35 (49%) residents and 37 (51%) attendings. Of 35 residents, 31 indicated their level of training, which included 13 (42%) PGY-1, 9 (29%) PGY-2, 6 (19%) PGY-3, and 3 (10%) PGY-4, respectively. Of 37 attendings, 34 indicated the number of years since completion of residency or last fellowship, at a median of 9 years (IQR 4-14; range 1-31). No significant difference was found in residents' and attendings' perceptions of what constituted feedback in the sample scenarios. Conclusions: While this study did not find a statistical difference in perception of feedback between residents and attendings, additional factors should be considered when investigating perceived feedback deficiencies. Further research is needed to better understand and improve the clinical feedback process.

Encouraging residents to seek feedback

Medical Teacher, 2013

Aim: To explore resident and faculty perceptions of the feedback process, especially residents' feedback-seeking activities. Methods: We conducted focus groups of faculty and residents exploring experiences in giving and receiving feedback, feedbackseeking, and suggestions to support feedback-seeking. Using qualitative methods and an iterative process, all authors analyzed the transcribed audiotapes to identify and confirm themes. Results: Emerging themes fit a framework situating resident feedback-seeking as dependent on four central factors: (1) learning/ workplace culture, (2) relationships, (3) purpose/quality of feedback, (4) emotional responses to feedback. Residents and faculty agreed on many supports and barriers to feedback-seeking. Strengthening the workplace/learning culture through longitudinal experiences, use of feedback forms and explicit expectations for residents to seek feedback, coupled with providing a sense of safety and adequate time for observation and providing feedback were suggested. Tensions between faculty and resident perceptions regarding feedback-seeking related to fear of being found deficient, the emotional costs related to corrective feedback and perceptions that completing clinical work is more valued than learning. Conclusion: Resident feedback-seeking is influenced by multiple factors requiring attention to both faculty and learner roles. Further study of specific influences and strategies to mitigate the tensions will inform how best to support residents in seeking feedback.

Residents provide feedback to their clinical teachers: Reflection through dialogue

Medical Teacher

Background: Physicians play a crucial role in teaching residents in clinical practice. Feedback on their teaching performance to support this role needs to be provided in a carefully designed and constructive way. Aims: We investigated an evaluation system for evaluating supervisors and providing formative feedback. Method: In a design based research approach, the 'Evaluation and Feedback For Effective Clinical Teaching System' (EFFECT-S) was examined by conducting semi-structured interviews with residents and supervisors of five departments in five different hospitals about feedback conditions, acceptance and its effects. Interviews were analysed by three researchers, using qualitative research software (ATLAS-Ti). Results: Principles and characteristics of the design are supported by evaluating EFFECT-S. All steps of EFFECT-S appear necessary. A new step, team evaluation, was added. Supervisors perceived the feedback as instructive; residents felt capable of providing feed...

Feedback is good or bad? Medical residents’ points of view on feedback in clinical education

journal of advances in medical education and professionalism, 2013

Introduction: Feedback is very important in education and can help quality in the training process and orient the trainees in clinical contexts. This study aimed to assess the residents’ points of view about feedback in clinical education at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Methods: The sample of this study included 170 medical residents attending medical workshops in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. The residents filled a valid and reliable questionnaire containing 21 items on their perceptions of the feedback they got throughout the workshops. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 14. Results: The study revealed that residents, generally, have a positive perception of feedback in their training. The highest score belonged to the items such as “feedback was applicable to future work”, “feedback corrected my behavior”, “feedback worked as a motivation for education” and “feedback was specific in one subject”. Residents who had a negative feedback experience also incr...

Necessary but not sufficient: identifying conditions for effective feedback during internal medicine residents’ clinical education

Advances in Health Sciences Education, 2019

Competency-based medical education and programmatic assessment intend to increase the opportunities for meaningful feedback, yet these conversations remain elusive. By comparing resident and faculty perceptions of feedback opportunities within one internal medicine residency training program, we sought to understand whether and how principles underlying meaningful feedback could be supported or constrained across a variety of feedback opportunities. Using case-study qualitative methodology, interviews and focus groups were conducted to explore 19 internal medicine residents' and 7 faculty members' perceptions of feedback across a variety of feedback opportunities: coaching, mini-CEXs, in-training evaluation reports and routine clinical supervision. Our data analysis moved iteratively between developing conceptual understandings and fine-grained analyses, while attending to both deductive and inductive analysis. Our results suggest that all feedback opportunities, including those created through formalized assessments, can foster meaningful feedback if faculty establish a trusting relationship with the resident, base their feedback on direct observation and support resident learning. However, formalized assessments were often perceived as inhibiting the conditions for meaningful feedback. A coaching program provided a context in which meaningful feedback could arise, in part because faculty were supported in shifting their focus from patient to resident. Meaningful feedback in clinical education may be fostered across a variety of feedback opportunities, however, it is often constrained by assessment. We must consider whether increasing the frequency of formative assessments may inhibit efforts to improve our feedback cultures while, in contrast, freeing up faculty to focus on supporting resident learning could improve these cultures.

How Residents Learn From Patient Feedback: A Multi-Institutional Qualitative Study of Pediatrics Residents' Perspectives

Journal of Graduate Medical Education, 2018

Background Residents may view feedback from patients and their families with greater skepticism than feedback from supervisors and peers. While discussing patient and family feedback with faculty may improve residents' acceptance of feedback and learning, specific strategies have not been identified. Objective We explored pediatrics residents' perspectives of patient feedback and identified strategies that promote residents' reflection on and learning from feedback. Methods In this multi-institutional, qualitative study conducted in June and July 2016, we conducted focus groups with a purposive sample of pediatrics residents after their participation in a randomized controlled trial in which they received written patient feedback and either discussed it with faculty or reviewed it independently. Focus group transcripts were audiorecorded, transcribed, and analyzed for themes using the constant comparative approach associated with grounded theory. Results Thirty-six o...

Constructing a Shared Mental Model for Feedback Conversations: Faculty Workshop Using Video Vignettes Developed by Residents

MedEdPORTAL, 2019

Introduction: Providing feedback is a fundamental principle in medical education; however, as educators, our community lacks the necessary skills to give meaningful, impactful feedback to those under our supervision. By improving our feedback-giving skills, we provide concrete ways for trainees to optimize their performance, ultimately leading to better patient care. Methods: In this faculty development workshop, faculty groups used six feedback video vignettes scripted, enacted, and produced by residents to arrive at a shared mental model of feedback. During workshop development, we used qualitative analysis for faculty narratives combined with the findings from a focused literature review to define dimensions of feedback. Results: Twenty-three faculty (physical medicine and rehabilitation and neurology) participated in seven small-group workshops. Analysis of group discussion notes yielded 343 codes that were collapsed into 25 coding categories. After incorporating the results of a focused literature review, we identified 48 items grouped into 10 dimensions of feedback. Online session evaluation indicated that faculty members liked the workshop's format and thought they were better at providing feedback to residents as a result of the workshop. Discussion: Small faculty groups were able to develop a shared mental model of dimensions of feedback that was also grounded in medical education literature. The theme of specificity of feedback was prominent and echoed recent medical education research findings. Defining performance expectations for feedback providers in the form of a practical and psychometrically sound rubric can enhance reliable scoring of feedback performance assessments and should be the next step in our work.

What are the associations between the quantity of faculty evaluations and residents' perception of quality feedback?

Annals of medicine and surgery (2012), 2017

To determine if there is a correlation between the numbers of evaluations submitted by faculty and the perception of the quality of feedback reported by trainees on a yearly survey. 147 ACGME-accredited training programs sponsored by a single medical school were included in the analysis. Eighty-seven programs (49 core residency programs and 38 advanced training programs) with 4 or more trainees received ACGME survey summary data for academic year 2013-2014. Resident ratings of satisfaction with feedback were analyzed against the number of evaluations completed per resident during the same period. R-squared correlation analysis was calculated using a Pearson correlation coefficient. 177,096 evaluations were distributed to the 87 programs, of which 117,452 were completed (66%). On average, faculty submitted 33.9 evaluations per resident. Core residency programs had a greater number of evaluations per resident than fellowship programs (39.2 vs. 27.1, respectively, p = 0.15). The averag...