Lynfa Stroud

Skills of internal medicine residents in disclosing medical errors: a study using standardized patients.

Purpose To determine internal medicine (IM) residents’ ability to disclose a medical error using standardized patients (SPs) and to survey residents’ experiences of disclosure. Method In 2005, 42 second-year IM residents at the University of Toronto participated in the study. Each resident disclosed one medical error (insulin overdose) to an SP. The SP and a physician observer scored performance using a rating scale (1 = not performed, 2 = performed somewhat, and 3 = performed well) that measures error disclosure on five specific component skills and that provides an overall assessment score (scored on a five-point scale, 5 = high). Residents also completed a questionnaire. Results The mean scores on the five components were explanation of medical facts (2.60), honesty (2.31), empathy (2.47), future error prevention (1.99), and general communication skills (2.47). The residents’ mean overall disclosure score was 3.53. Although 27 of 42 residents (64%) reported previous experience in disclosing an error to a patient during their training, only 7 (27%) of these residents reported receiving any feedback about their performance. Of 41 residents, 21 (51%) had received some prior training in disclosure, and 38 (93%) thought additional training would be useful and relevant. Conclusions Disclosing medical error is now a standard practice. Experience with medical error begins early in training, and preparing trainees to discuss these errors is essential. Areas exist for improvement in residents’ disclosure abilities, particularly regarding the prevention of future errors. Curricula to increase residents’ skills and comfort in disclosure need to be implemented. Most residents would welcome further training.

Teaching Medical Error Disclosure to Physicians-in-training: A Scoping Review

Purpose This scoping review identified published studies of error disclosure curricula targeting physicians-in-training (residents or medical students). Method In 2011, the authors searched electronic databases (e.g., MEDLINE, EMBASE, ERIC) for eligible studies published between 1960 and July 2011. From the studies that met their inclusion criteria, they extracted and summarized key aspects of each curriculum (e.g., level of learner, program discipline) and educational features (e.g., curriculum design, teaching and assessment methods, and learner outcomes). Results The authors identified 21 studies that met their inclusion criteria. These studies described 19 error disclosure curricula, which were either a stand-alone educational activity, part of a larger curriculum in patient safety or communication skills, or part of simulation training. Most curricula consisted of a brief, single encounter, combining didactic lectures or small-group discussions with role-play. Fourteen studies described learners’ self-reported improvements in knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Five studies used a structured assessment and reported that learners’ error disclosure skills improved after completing the curriculum; however, these studies were limited by their small to medium sample size and lack of assessment of skills retention. Attempts to assess the change in learners’ error disclosure behavior in the clinical context were limited. Conclusions Studies of existing error disclosure curricula demonstrate improvements in learners’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes. A greater emphasis is needed on the more rigorous assessment of skills acquisition and behavior change to determine whether formal training leads to long-term effects on learner outcomes that translate into real-world clinical practice.

Hybrid Simulation for Knee Arthrocentesis: Improving Fidelity in Procedures Training

ABSTRACTBACKGROUNDProcedures form a core competency for internists, yet many do not master these skills during residency. Simulation can help fill this gap, but many curricula focus on technical skills, and overlook communication skills necessary to perform procedures proficiently. Hybrid simulation (HS) is a novel way to teach and assess procedural skills in an integrated, contextually-based way.AIMTo create a HS model for teaching arthrocentesis to internal medicine residents.SETTINGInternal medicine residency program at the University of Toronto.PARTICIPANTSTwenty four second-year internal medicine residents.PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONResidents were introduced to HS, given practice time with feedback from standardized patients (SPs) and faculty, and assessed individually using a different scenario and SP. Physicians scored overall performance using a 6-point procedural skills measure, and both physicians and SPs scored communication using a 5-point communication skills measure.PROGRAM EVALUATIONRealism was highly rated by residents (4.13/5.00), SPs (4.00) and physicians (4.33), and was perceived to enhance learning. Residents’ procedural skills were rated as 4.21/6.00 (3.00 – 5.00; ICC = 0.77, [0.53 – 0.92]), comparable to an experienced post-graduate year (PGY) 2-3; and all but one resident was considered competent.DISCUSSIONHS facilitates simultaneous acquisition of technical and communication skills. Future research should examine whether HS improves transfer of skills to the clinical setting.Procedures form a core competency for internists, yet many do not master these skills during residency. Simulation can help fill this gap, but many curricula focus on technical skills, and overlook communication skills necessary to perform procedures proficiently. Hybrid simulation (HS) is a novel way to teach and assess procedural skills in an integrated, contextually-based way. To create a HS model for teaching arthrocentesis to internal medicine residents. Internal medicine residency program at the University of Toronto. Twenty four second-year internal medicine residents. Residents were introduced to HS, given practice time with feedback from standardized patients (SPs) and faculty, and assessed individually using a different scenario and SP. Physicians scored overall performance using a 6-point procedural skills measure, and both physicians and SPs scored communication using a 5-point communication skills measure. Realism was highly rated by residents (4.13/5.00), SPs (4.00) and physicians (4.33), and was perceived to enhance learning. Residents’ procedural skills were rated as 4.21/6.00 (3.00 – 5.00; ICC = 0.77, [0.53 – 0.92]), comparable to an experienced post-graduate year (PGY) 2-3; and all but one resident was considered competent. HS facilitates simultaneous acquisition of technical and communication skills. Future research should examine whether HS improves transfer of skills to the clinical setting.

The benefits make up for whatever is lost: altruism and accountability in a new call system.

Purpose A new internal medicine call structure was implemented at two teaching hospitals at the University of Toronto, Canada, in 2009, motivated by patient safety concerns, new duty hours regulations, and dissatisfaction among attending physicians. This study aimed to determine attendings’, residents’, and students’ experiences with the new structure and to look carefully for unintended consequences. Method Between June and August 2009, the authors conducted an in-depth qualitative study using level-specific focus groups of attending physicians, residents, and medical students (n = 28) with experience of both the old and new call systems. Discussions were analyzed using grounded theory. Results Analysis revealed six themes (physician, manager, learner, teacher, workload, and “teamness”) as well as the overarching theme of accountability. Although participants perceived the new system as better for patient care, there were several trade-offs. For example, workload was more predictable and equitable but less flexible, and senior residents reported less personal continuity for patients but increased continuity of care on the team level. Teaching and learning were negatively affected. Despite the negative effects, participants perceived that overall accountability improved on many levels, and participants felt the trade-offs were worth the perceived benefits. Conclusions Residents were flexible and altruistic, accepting trade-offs in their own experiences in favor of patient care. Education was negatively affected. This study highlights the importance of carefully studying changes to look for anticipated and unanticipated consequences.

Putting performance in context: the perceived influence of environmental factors on work-based performance.

IntroductionContext shapes behaviours yet is seldom considered when assessing competence. Our objective was to explore attending physicians’ and trainees’ perceptions of the Internal Medicine Clinical Teaching Unit (CTU) environment and how they thought contextual factors affected their performance.Method29 individuals recently completing CTU rotations participated in nine level-specific focus groups (2 with attending physicians, 3 with senior and 2 with junior residents, and 2 with students). Participants were asked to identify environmental factors on the CTU and to describe how these factors influenced their own performance across CanMEDS roles. Discussions were analyzed using constructivist grounded theory.ResultsFive major contextual factors were identified: Busyness, Multiple Hats, Other People, Educational Structures, and Hospital Resources and Policies. Busyness emerged as the most important, but all factors had a substantial perceived impact on performance. Participants felt their performance on the Manager and Scholar roles was most affected by environmental factors (mostly negatively, due to decreased efficiency and impact on learning).ConclusionsIn complex workplace environments, numerous factors shape performance. These contextual factors and their impact need to be considered in observations and judgements made about performance in the workplace, as without this understanding conclusions about competency may be flawed.

Does Making the Numerical Values of Verbal Anchors on a Rating Scale Available to Examiners Inflate Scores on a Long Case Examination

Purpose Rating scales are frequently used for scoring assessments in medical education. The effect of changing the structural elements of a rating scale on students’ examination scores has received little attention in the medical education literature. This study assessed the impact of making the numerical values of verbal anchors on a rating scale available to examiners in a long case examination (LCE). Method During the 2011–2012 academic year, the numerical values of verbal anchors on a rating scale for an internal medicine clerkship LCE were made available to faculty examiners. Historically, and specifically in the control year of 2010–2011, examiners only saw the scale’s verbal anchors and were blinded to the associated numerical values. To assess the impact of this change, the authors compared students’ LCE scores between the two cohort years. To assess for differences between the two cohorts, they compared students’ scores on other clerkship assessments, which remained the same between the two cohorts. Results From 2010–2011 (n = 226) to 2011–2012 (n = 218), the median LCE score increased significantly from 82.11% to 85.02% (P < .01). Students’ performance on the other clerkship assessments was similar between cohorts. Conclusions Providing examiners with the numerical values of verbal anchors on a rating scale, in addition to the verbal anchors themselves, led to a significant increase in students’ scores on an internal medicine clerkship LCE. When constructing or changing rating scales, educators must consider the potential impact of the rating scale structure on students’ scores.

Core Competencies or a Competent Core? A Scoping Review and Realist Synthesis of Invasive Bedside Procedural Skills Training in Internal Medicine

Purpose Invasive bedside procedures are core competencies for internal medicine, yet no formal training guidelines exist. The authors conducted a scoping review and realist synthesis to characterize current training for lumbar puncture, arthrocentesis, paracentesis, thoracentesis, and central venous catheterization. They aimed to collate how educators justify using specific interventions, establish which interventions have the best evidence, and offer directions for future research and training. Method The authors systematically searched Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and ERIC through April 2015. Studies were screened in three phases; all reviews were performed independently and in duplicate. The authors extracted information on learner and patient demographics, study design and methodological quality, and details of training interventions and measured outcomes. A three-step realist synthesis was performed to synthesize findings on each study’s context, mechanism, and outcome, and to identify a foundational training model. Results From an initial 6,671 studies, 149 studies were further reduced to 67 (45%) reporting sufficient information for realist synthesis. Analysis yielded four types of procedural skills training interventions. There was relative consistency across contexts and significant differences in mechanisms and outcomes across the four intervention types. The medical procedural service was identified as an adaptable foundational training model. Conclusions The observed heterogeneity in procedural skills training implies that programs are not consistently developing residents who are competent in core procedures. The findings suggest that researchers in education and quality improvement will need to collaborate to design training that develops a “competent core” of proceduralists using simulation and clinical rotations.

Feedback Credibility in a Formative Postgraduate Objective Structured Clinical Examination: Effects of Examiner Type

Background Resident perspectives on feedback are key determinants of its acceptance and effectiveness, and provider credibility is a critical element in perspective formation. It is unclear what factors influence a residents judgment of feedback credibility. Objective We examined how residents perceive the credibility of feedback providers during a formative objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) in 2 ways: (1) ratings of faculty examiners compared with standardized patient (SP) examiners, and (2) ratings of faculty examiners based on alignment of expertise and station content. Methods During a formative OSCE, internal medicine residents were randomized to receive immediate feedback from either faculty examiners or SP examiners on communication stations, and at least 1 specialty congruent and either 1 specialty incongruent or general internist faculty examiner for clinical stations. Residents rated perceived credibility of feedback providers on a 7-point scale. Results were analyzed with proportional odds models for ordinal credibility ratings. Results A total of 192 of 203 residents (95%), 72 faculty, and 10 SPs participated. For communication stations, odds of high credibility ratings were significantly lower for SP than for faculty examiners (odds ratio [OR] = 0.28, P < .001). For clinical stations, credibility odds were lower for specialty incongruent faculty (OR = 0.19, P < .001) and female faculty (OR = 0.45, P < .001). Conclusions Faculty examiners were perceived as being more credible than SP examiners, despite standardizing feedback delivery. Specialty incongruency with station content and female sex were associated with lower credibility ratings for faculty examiners.

Moving beyond orientations: a multiple case study of the residency experiences of Canadian-born and immigrant international medical graduates

Many international medical graduates (IMGs) enter North American residency programs every year. The Canadian IMG physician pool increasingly includes Canadian-born IMGs (C-IMGs) along with Immigrant-IMGs (I-IMGs). Similar trends exist in the United States. Our objective was to understand the similarities and differences in the challenges faced by both I-IMGs and C-IMGs during residency to identify actionable recommendations to support them during this critical time. We performed a multiple case study of IMGs’ experiences at a large Canadian university. Within our two descriptive cases (I-IMGs, C-IMGs) we iteratively conducted twenty-two semi-structured interviews; we thematically analyzed our data within, between, and across both cases to understand challenges to IMGs’ integration and opportunities for curricular innovations to facilitate their adaptation process. Research team members with different perspectives contributed reflexively to the thematic analysis. Participants identified key differences between medical culture and knowledge expected in Canada and the health systems and curricula in which they originally trained. I-IMG and C-IMG participants perceived two major challenges: discrimination because of negative labelling as IMGs and difficulties navigating their initial residency months. C-IMGs described a third challenge: frustration around the focus on the needs of I-IMGs. Participants from both groups identified two major opportunities: their desire to help other IMGs and a need for mentorship. I-IMGs and C-IMGs face diverse challenges during their training, including disorientation and discrimination. We identified specific objectives to inform the design of curriculum and support services that residency programs can offer trainees as well as important targets for resident education and faculty development.

Using the Entrustable Professional Activities Framework in the Assessment of Procedural Skills.

BACKGROUND The entrustable professional activity (EPA) framework has been identified as a useful approach to assessment in competency-based education. To apply an EPA framework for assessment, essential skills necessary for entrustment to occur must first be identified. OBJECTIVE Using an EPA framework, our study sought to (1) define the essential skills required for entrustment for 7 bedside procedures expected of graduates of Canadian internal medicine (IM) residency programs, and (2) develop rubrics for the assessment of these procedural skills. METHODS An initial list of essential skills was defined for each procedural EPA by focus groups of experts at 4 academic centers using the nominal group technique. These lists were subsequently vetted by representatives from all Canadian IM training programs through a web-based survey. Consensus (more than 80% agreement) about inclusion of each item was sought using a modified Delphi exercise. Qualitative survey data were analyzed using a framework approach to inform final assessment rubrics for each procedure. RESULTS Initial lists of essential skills for procedural EPAs ranged from 10 to 24 items. A total of 111 experts completed the national survey. After 2 iterations, consensus was reached on all items. Following qualitative analysis, final rubrics were created, which included 6 to 10 items per procedure. CONCLUSIONS These EPA-based assessment rubrics represent a national consensus by Canadian IM clinician educators. They provide a practical guide for the assessment of procedural skills in a competency-based education model, and a robust foundation for future research on their implementation and evaluation.