Can colleagues', patients' and supervisors' assessments predict successful completion of postgraduate medical training?

Abstract

Workplace-based assessments (WPBAs) are widely used in postgraduate training programmes internationally. WPBAs can function as both an assessment and an educational tool. Although some WPBAs are a mandatory requirement of approved curricula (as in the UK), little previous research has explored the extent to which such assessments are associated with adverse outcomes in postgraduate training. The present study examines whether the assessment element of Multisource Feedback, Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire and Educational Supervisors Review ratings can indicate if a trainee is likely to experience difficulty in successfully completing their planned training programme (i.e. fail one of their licensing assessments or need additional training time). Data were collected for trainees undergoing a General Practice specialty training placement in Health Education East Midlands (UK). Multivariate analyses were used to examine the predictive validity of the WPBAs and the outcome measures (n = 327 to 329) and t-tests to calculate whether there were significant differences in performance between trainees who received low versus high WPBA ratings (t = 4.03 to 10.27, p < 0.01). Multisource Feedback, Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire and Educational Supervisor's Review ratings were significantly correlated with subsequent performance in licensing exams (r = 0.14 to 0.47, p < 0.01), and in addition explained significant variance in the likelihood of requiring additional training time (15.6% to 25.6%, p < 0.01). Based on the findings, we assert that Multisource Feedback, Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire and Educational Supervisor's Review ratings have validity for predicting performance during training and are thus a useful tool for identifying trainees who are more likely to experience difficulty and could benefit from early additional support.