Towards healthy learning climates in postgraduate medical education: exploring the role of hospital-wide education committees

Abstract Background Postgraduate medical education prepares residents for delivery of high quality patient care during training as well as for later practice, which makes high quality residency training programs crucial to safeguard patient care. Healthy learning climates contribute to high quality...

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Main Authors: Milou E. W. M. Silkens, Kiki M. J. M. H. Lombarts, Albert J. J. A. Scherpbier, Maas Jan Heineman, Onyebuchi A. Arah
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2017-12-01
Series:BMC Medical Education
Subjects:
Online Access:http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12909-017-1075-0
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author Milou E. W. M. Silkens
Kiki M. J. M. H. Lombarts
Albert J. J. A. Scherpbier
Maas Jan Heineman
Onyebuchi A. Arah
author_facet Milou E. W. M. Silkens
Kiki M. J. M. H. Lombarts
Albert J. J. A. Scherpbier
Maas Jan Heineman
Onyebuchi A. Arah
author_sort Milou E. W. M. Silkens
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Postgraduate medical education prepares residents for delivery of high quality patient care during training as well as for later practice, which makes high quality residency training programs crucial to safeguard patient care. Healthy learning climates contribute to high quality postgraduate medical education. In several countries, modernization of postgraduate medical education has resulted in hospital-wide responsibilities for monitoring learning climates. This study investigates the association between the actions undertaken by hospital-wide education committees and learning climates in postgraduate medical education. Methods Research conducted in December 2010 invited 57 chairs of hospital-wide education committees to complete a questionnaire on their implemented level of quality improvement policies. We merged the survey data from 21 committees that oversaw training programs and used the Dutch Residency Educational Climate Test (D-RECT) instrument in 2012 to measure their training programs’ learning climate. We used descriptive statistics and linear mixed models to analyse associations between the functioning of hospital-wide education committees and corresponding learning climates. Results In total, 812 resident evaluations for 99 training programs in 21 teaching hospitals were available for analysis. The implementation level of the internal quality management systems as adopted by the hospital-wide education committees varied from 1.6 to 2.6 on a 5 point Likert-scale (ranging from 1 (worst) to 5 (best)). No significant associations were found between the functioning of the committees and corresponding learning climates. Conclusions The contribution of hospital-wide committees to creating healthy learning climates is yet to be demonstrated. The absence of such an association could be due to the lack of a Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle guiding the policy as implemented by the committees and the lack of involvement of departmental leadership. Insight into the impact of these strategies on learning climates will benefit the quality of postgraduate medical education and, hopefully, patient care.
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spelling doaj.art-ae791e8624ea4eb0904ee33ff1bf96412022-12-22T01:16:48ZengBMCBMC Medical Education1472-69202017-12-011711710.1186/s12909-017-1075-0Towards healthy learning climates in postgraduate medical education: exploring the role of hospital-wide education committeesMilou E. W. M. Silkens0Kiki M. J. M. H. Lombarts1Albert J. J. A. Scherpbier2Maas Jan Heineman3Onyebuchi A. Arah4Professional Performance Research group, Department for Educational Support, Academic Medical Centre/University of AmsterdamProfessional Performance Research group, Department for Educational Support, Academic Medical Centre/University of AmsterdamDepartment of Educational Development and Research, Maastricht UniversityProfessional Performance Research group, Department for Educational Support, Academic Medical Centre/University of AmsterdamProfessional Performance Research group, Department for Educational Support, Academic Medical Centre/University of AmsterdamAbstract Background Postgraduate medical education prepares residents for delivery of high quality patient care during training as well as for later practice, which makes high quality residency training programs crucial to safeguard patient care. Healthy learning climates contribute to high quality postgraduate medical education. In several countries, modernization of postgraduate medical education has resulted in hospital-wide responsibilities for monitoring learning climates. This study investigates the association between the actions undertaken by hospital-wide education committees and learning climates in postgraduate medical education. Methods Research conducted in December 2010 invited 57 chairs of hospital-wide education committees to complete a questionnaire on their implemented level of quality improvement policies. We merged the survey data from 21 committees that oversaw training programs and used the Dutch Residency Educational Climate Test (D-RECT) instrument in 2012 to measure their training programs’ learning climate. We used descriptive statistics and linear mixed models to analyse associations between the functioning of hospital-wide education committees and corresponding learning climates. Results In total, 812 resident evaluations for 99 training programs in 21 teaching hospitals were available for analysis. The implementation level of the internal quality management systems as adopted by the hospital-wide education committees varied from 1.6 to 2.6 on a 5 point Likert-scale (ranging from 1 (worst) to 5 (best)). No significant associations were found between the functioning of the committees and corresponding learning climates. Conclusions The contribution of hospital-wide committees to creating healthy learning climates is yet to be demonstrated. The absence of such an association could be due to the lack of a Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle guiding the policy as implemented by the committees and the lack of involvement of departmental leadership. Insight into the impact of these strategies on learning climates will benefit the quality of postgraduate medical education and, hopefully, patient care.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12909-017-1075-0Learning climatePostgraduate medical educationQuality controlQuality improvementEducational governance
spellingShingle Milou E. W. M. Silkens
Kiki M. J. M. H. Lombarts
Albert J. J. A. Scherpbier
Maas Jan Heineman
Onyebuchi A. Arah
Towards healthy learning climates in postgraduate medical education: exploring the role of hospital-wide education committees
BMC Medical Education
Learning climate
Postgraduate medical education
Quality control
Quality improvement
Educational governance
title Towards healthy learning climates in postgraduate medical education: exploring the role of hospital-wide education committees
title_full Towards healthy learning climates in postgraduate medical education: exploring the role of hospital-wide education committees
title_fullStr Towards healthy learning climates in postgraduate medical education: exploring the role of hospital-wide education committees
title_full_unstemmed Towards healthy learning climates in postgraduate medical education: exploring the role of hospital-wide education committees
title_short Towards healthy learning climates in postgraduate medical education: exploring the role of hospital-wide education committees
title_sort towards healthy learning climates in postgraduate medical education exploring the role of hospital wide education committees
topic Learning climate
Postgraduate medical education
Quality control
Quality improvement
Educational governance
url http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12909-017-1075-0
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