Source
Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Faculty observation of residents and students performing clinical skills is essential for reliable and valid evaluation of trainees.
OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate the efficacy of a new multifaceted method of faculty development called direct observation of competence training.
DESIGN:
Controlled trial of faculty from 16 internal medicine residency programs using a cluster randomization design.
SETTING:
Academic medical centers.
PARTICIPANTS:
40 internal medicine teaching faculty members: 17 in the intervention group and 23 in the control group.
MEASUREMENTS:
Changes in faculty comfort performing direct observation, faculty satisfaction with workshop, and changes in faculty rating behaviors 8 months after completing the training.
INTERVENTION:
The direct observation of competence workshop combines didactic mini-lectures, interactive small group and videotape evaluation exercises, and evaluation skill practice with standardized residents and patients.
RESULTS:
37 faculty members (16 in the intervention group and 21 in the control group) completed the study. Most of the faculty in the intervention group (14 [88%]) reported that they felt significantly more comfortable performing direct observation compared with control group faculty (4 [19%]) (P = 0.04), and all intervention faculty rated the training as outstanding. For 9 videotaped clinical encounters, intervention group faculty were more stringent than controls in their evaluations of medical interviewing, physical examination, and counseling; differences in ratings for medical interviewing and physical examination remained statistically significant even after adjustment for baseline rating behavior.
LIMITATIONS:
The study involved a limited number of residency programs, and faculty did not rate the performance of actual residents.
CONCLUSION:
Direct observation of competence training, a new multifaceted approach to faculty development, leads to meaningful changes in rating behaviors and in faculty comfort with evaluation of clinical skills.