Development of a Web-based resident profiling tool to support training in practice-based learning and improvement

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Informatics
• Internal Medicine Training

Background:

• Residency programs face increasing pressure to incorporate practice-based learning and improvement (PBLI).
• Existing information systems are insufficient for facilitating PBLI training in medical residency programs.
• There is a need for tools to support residents in analyzing and improving their clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop, implement, and evaluate a web-based tool for PBLI in Internal Medicine residency.
• To provide residents with population-based reports on ambulatory clinical experiences.
• To enable residents to identify areas for practice improvement using the SPARC system.

Main Methods:

• Development and implementation of a web-based tool named Systems and Practice Analysis for Resident Competencies (SPARC).
• SPARC provides Internal Medicine residents with population-based reports on their clinical experiences.
• A survey assessed resident perception of SPARC's usefulness, and a before-after study evaluated changes in resident confidence.

Main Results:

• 94% of surveyed residents found SPARC to be a useful educational tool.
• Residents showed significantly increased confidence in accessing population-based data for chronic disease management (p < .001).
• Residents reported significantly higher confidence in comparing their practice style to peers (p < .001).

Conclusions:

• The SPARC tool is an effective educational resource for Internal Medicine residents.
• SPARC enhances residents' ability to engage in practice-based learning and improvement.
• Web-based systems can successfully support PBLI initiatives in medical residency programs.