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A pilot survey study to define quality in residency education
J M Klessig1, S D Wolfsthal, M A Levine
1UCLA San Fernando Valley Program, Sepulveda, California, USA.
Summary
Defining quality in internal medicine residency training revealed diverse opinions, with a strong emphasis on educational processes over outcomes. Future quality assessments should involve all stakeholders in graduate medical education.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education Research
- Graduate Medical Education Quality Assessment
Background:
- Internal medicine residency programs face challenges in defining and measuring training quality.
- Establishing robust indicators is crucial for accreditation and continuous improvement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To initiate the definition of quality indicators for internal medicine residency training.
- To identify key process and outcome measures valued by program directors and residents.
Main Methods:
- A modified Delphi process was employed by the Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine's Research Committee.
- A 44-item questionnaire assessing 34 process and 10 outcome indicators was distributed to internal medicine program directors and residents.
Main Results:
- Program directors highly valued faculty characteristics, institutional support, resident evaluation, and lifelong learning encouragement.
- Strong agreement (r = 0.91) was observed between faculty and resident ratings of indicator importance.
- Less importance was assigned to career choices, specific patient care experiences, community service, and faculty research.
Conclusions:
- Significant diversity exists in perceptions of quality within internal medicine residency education.
- There is a notable preference for process-oriented indicators compared to outcome-based measures.
- Future quality assessment frameworks must incorporate a broader range of stakeholders, including accrediting bodies, employers, and patients.