Abstract
This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. PurposeAcademic centers utilize web-based surveillance systems to administer their evaluations, but little is known about their impact on the evaluation responsibilities delegated to medical residents.MethodUsing a mixed-methods approach, a retrospective content analysis was conducted of the evaluation activities experienced by a cohort of 29 residents as they completed their training in general internal medicine from 2009-2012. These data were triangulated with group interviews conducted with current internal medicine residents in 2012-2013.ResultsThe internal medicine program electronically requested that its residents complete 8,614 evaluation reports on clinical faculty, curriculum, and junior trainees (345 requests annually per resident). Residents reported feeling overwhelmed by their ongoing evaluation workload, and admitted that their motivation to submit high-quality appraisals was dissipating. Residents perceived that their program valued certain evaluations more than others, and this was a major factor in their decision regarding whether or not they would eventually submit an appraisal. Feedback submitted on program evaluation-related appraisals were viewed as having the least value, and residents were significantly less likely to submit these evaluations. ConclusionsAlthough web-based surveillance systems are efficient in distributing thousands of evaluations, residency programs to engage in ongoing vigilance of the unintended consequences associated with their use.
Highlights
Many North American academic centres, including our own, introduced web-based surveillance networks to administer its evaluations of clinical faculty, trainees, and medical education programs (Civetta et al 2001; Deretchin et al 2002; D’Cunha et al 2003; Bennett et al 2004; Feldman & Triola 2004; Natt et al 2006)
Web-based surveillance systems are efficient in distributing thousands of evaluations, residency programs to engage in ongoing vigilance of the unintended consequences associated with their use
We argue that meaningful assessment systems can evolve only through careful exploration of their facets and complexities including the workflow, and impact of these activities, experienced by its user groups
Summary
Many North American academic centres, including our own, introduced web-based surveillance networks to administer its evaluations of clinical faculty, trainees, and medical education programs (Civetta et al 2001; Deretchin et al 2002; D’Cunha et al 2003; Bennett et al 2004; Feldman & Triola 2004; Natt et al 2006). We argue that meaningful assessment systems can evolve only through careful exploration of their facets and complexities including the workflow, and impact of these activities, experienced by its user groups. One user group involves medical residents, who are delegated the professional responsibility to serve as evaluators throughout the tenure of their postgraduate education. While ‘survey fatigue’ has been thought to negatively impact survey return rates (Porter et al 2004), the degree to which medical residents’ experience and react to these feelings, within the context of an electronic surveillance system, has not been previously explored. The purpose of this study was to explore the evaluation workflow and habits experienced by postgraduate trainees during residency training
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