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Updated: Jul 16, 2026
10:07
Using Learning Outcome Measures to assess Doctoral Nursing Education
Published on: June 21, 2010
Using patient care quality measures to assess educational outcomes
Susan R Swing1, Sandra Schneider, Ken Bizovi
1Department of Research and Education, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, Chicago, IL, USA. srs@acgme.org
Summary
A prototype methodology identified 62 patient care quality measures for assessing emergency medicine residency education. Nineteen high-rated measures show potential for evaluating educational effectiveness and quality of care, though measurement issues require further study.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Quality Improvement
- Emergency Medicine
Background:
- Assessing the effectiveness of graduate medical education (GME) in emergency medicine (EM) is crucial for ensuring patient care quality.
- Developing standardized quality measures for EM residency programs presents a significant challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and implement a prototype methodology for identifying candidate patient care quality measures.
- To assess the potential use of these measures in evaluating the outcomes and effectiveness of EM GME.
Main Methods:
- A modified Delphi process was employed by a workgroup of experts in EM education and quality measurement.
- Iterative review, expert and stakeholder ratings, and consensus development were used to select and refine potential measures.
- A framework was developed to link educational activities, competencies, and patient care quality measures.
Main Results:
- A set of 62 patient care quality measures was selected, including clinical condition, medication, procedure, and efficiency measures.
- Twenty-six measures were prioritized, with 19 receiving high ratings for importance, quality of care, and educational effectiveness.
- The majority of selected measures were considered feasible to measure by experts and stakeholders.
Conclusions:
- Numerous patient care quality measures hold potential for assessing EM GME effectiveness and performance.
- The identified measures can serve as a foundational set for future development, implementation, and research.
- Addressing measurement issues is essential for high-stakes implementation of these quality measures.
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