Exploring the Quality of Narrative Feedback Provided to Residents During Ambulatory Patient Care in Medicine and Surgery

OBJECTIVES The transition to competency-based medical education (CBME) has increased the volume of residents’ assessment data; however, the quality of the narrative feedback is yet to be used as feedback-on-feedback for faculty. Our objectives were (1) to explore and compare the quality and content...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Rebecca Leclair, Jessica S. S. Ho, Heather Braund, Ekaterina Kouzmina, Samantha Bruzzese, Sara Awad, Steve Mann, Boris Zevin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2023-05-01
Series:Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/23821205231175734
_version_ 1827946259931987968
author Rebecca Leclair
Jessica S. S. Ho
Heather Braund
Ekaterina Kouzmina
Samantha Bruzzese
Sara Awad
Steve Mann
Boris Zevin
author_facet Rebecca Leclair
Jessica S. S. Ho
Heather Braund
Ekaterina Kouzmina
Samantha Bruzzese
Sara Awad
Steve Mann
Boris Zevin
author_sort Rebecca Leclair
collection DOAJ
description OBJECTIVES The transition to competency-based medical education (CBME) has increased the volume of residents’ assessment data; however, the quality of the narrative feedback is yet to be used as feedback-on-feedback for faculty. Our objectives were (1) to explore and compare the quality and content of narrative feedback provided to residents in medicine and surgery during ambulatory patient care and (2) to use the Deliberately Developmental Organization framework to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities to improve quality of feedback within CBME. METHODS We conducted a mixed convergent methods study with residents from the Departments of Surgery (DoS; n  = 7) and Medicine (DoM; n  = 9) at Queen's University. We used thematic analysis and the Quality of Assessment for Learning (QuAL) tool to analyze the content and quality of narrative feedback documented in entrustable professional activities (EPAs) assessments for ambulatory care. We also examined the association between the basis of assessment, time to provide feedback, and the quality of narrative feedback. RESULTS Forty-one EPA assessments were included in the analysis. Three major themes arose from thematic analysis: Communication, Diagnostics/Management, and Next Steps. Quality of the narrative feedback varied; 46% had sufficient evidence about residents’ performance; 39% provided a suggestion for improvement; and 11% provided a connection between the suggestion and the evidence. There were significant differences between DoM and DoS in quality of feedback scores for evidence (2.1 [1.3] vs. 1.3 [1.1]; p  < 0.01) and connection (0.4 [0.5] vs. 0.1 [0.3]; p   =  0.04) domains of the QuAL tool. Feedback quality was not associated with the basis of assessment or time taken to provide feedback. CONCLUSION The quality of the narrative feedback provided to residents during ambulatory patient care was variable with the greatest gap in providing connections between suggestions and evidence about residents’ performance. There is a need for ongoing faculty development to improve the quality of narrative feedback provided to residents.
first_indexed 2024-03-13T10:56:06Z
format Article
id doaj.art-2fb6630d225f430a9246a3908bb94149
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2382-1205
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-13T10:56:06Z
publishDate 2023-05-01
publisher SAGE Publishing
record_format Article
series Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development
spelling doaj.art-2fb6630d225f430a9246a3908bb941492023-05-17T04:33:31ZengSAGE PublishingJournal of Medical Education and Curricular Development2382-12052023-05-011010.1177/23821205231175734Exploring the Quality of Narrative Feedback Provided to Residents During Ambulatory Patient Care in Medicine and SurgeryRebecca Leclair0Jessica S. S. Ho1Heather Braund2Ekaterina Kouzmina3Samantha Bruzzese4Sara Awad5Steve Mann6Boris Zevin7 School of Medicine, , Kingston, ON, Canada School of Medicine, , Kingston, ON, Canada Office of Professional Development and Educational Scholarship, , Kingston, ON, Canada Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, , Kingston, ON, Canada Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, , Kingston, Kingston, ON, Canada Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, , Kingston ON, Canada Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Surgery, , Kingston, ON, Canada Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, , Kingston, ON, CanadaOBJECTIVES The transition to competency-based medical education (CBME) has increased the volume of residents’ assessment data; however, the quality of the narrative feedback is yet to be used as feedback-on-feedback for faculty. Our objectives were (1) to explore and compare the quality and content of narrative feedback provided to residents in medicine and surgery during ambulatory patient care and (2) to use the Deliberately Developmental Organization framework to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities to improve quality of feedback within CBME. METHODS We conducted a mixed convergent methods study with residents from the Departments of Surgery (DoS; n  = 7) and Medicine (DoM; n  = 9) at Queen's University. We used thematic analysis and the Quality of Assessment for Learning (QuAL) tool to analyze the content and quality of narrative feedback documented in entrustable professional activities (EPAs) assessments for ambulatory care. We also examined the association between the basis of assessment, time to provide feedback, and the quality of narrative feedback. RESULTS Forty-one EPA assessments were included in the analysis. Three major themes arose from thematic analysis: Communication, Diagnostics/Management, and Next Steps. Quality of the narrative feedback varied; 46% had sufficient evidence about residents’ performance; 39% provided a suggestion for improvement; and 11% provided a connection between the suggestion and the evidence. There were significant differences between DoM and DoS in quality of feedback scores for evidence (2.1 [1.3] vs. 1.3 [1.1]; p  < 0.01) and connection (0.4 [0.5] vs. 0.1 [0.3]; p   =  0.04) domains of the QuAL tool. Feedback quality was not associated with the basis of assessment or time taken to provide feedback. CONCLUSION The quality of the narrative feedback provided to residents during ambulatory patient care was variable with the greatest gap in providing connections between suggestions and evidence about residents’ performance. There is a need for ongoing faculty development to improve the quality of narrative feedback provided to residents.https://doi.org/10.1177/23821205231175734
spellingShingle Rebecca Leclair
Jessica S. S. Ho
Heather Braund
Ekaterina Kouzmina
Samantha Bruzzese
Sara Awad
Steve Mann
Boris Zevin
Exploring the Quality of Narrative Feedback Provided to Residents During Ambulatory Patient Care in Medicine and Surgery
Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development
title Exploring the Quality of Narrative Feedback Provided to Residents During Ambulatory Patient Care in Medicine and Surgery
title_full Exploring the Quality of Narrative Feedback Provided to Residents During Ambulatory Patient Care in Medicine and Surgery
title_fullStr Exploring the Quality of Narrative Feedback Provided to Residents During Ambulatory Patient Care in Medicine and Surgery
title_full_unstemmed Exploring the Quality of Narrative Feedback Provided to Residents During Ambulatory Patient Care in Medicine and Surgery
title_short Exploring the Quality of Narrative Feedback Provided to Residents During Ambulatory Patient Care in Medicine and Surgery
title_sort exploring the quality of narrative feedback provided to residents during ambulatory patient care in medicine and surgery
url https://doi.org/10.1177/23821205231175734
work_keys_str_mv AT rebeccaleclair exploringthequalityofnarrativefeedbackprovidedtoresidentsduringambulatorypatientcareinmedicineandsurgery
AT jessicassho exploringthequalityofnarrativefeedbackprovidedtoresidentsduringambulatorypatientcareinmedicineandsurgery
AT heatherbraund exploringthequalityofnarrativefeedbackprovidedtoresidentsduringambulatorypatientcareinmedicineandsurgery
AT ekaterinakouzmina exploringthequalityofnarrativefeedbackprovidedtoresidentsduringambulatorypatientcareinmedicineandsurgery
AT samanthabruzzese exploringthequalityofnarrativefeedbackprovidedtoresidentsduringambulatorypatientcareinmedicineandsurgery
AT saraawad exploringthequalityofnarrativefeedbackprovidedtoresidentsduringambulatorypatientcareinmedicineandsurgery
AT stevemann exploringthequalityofnarrativefeedbackprovidedtoresidentsduringambulatorypatientcareinmedicineandsurgery
AT boriszevin exploringthequalityofnarrativefeedbackprovidedtoresidentsduringambulatorypatientcareinmedicineandsurgery