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Using Learning Outcome Measures to assess Doctoral Nursing Education
Published on: June 21, 2010
Using qualitative data from a program director's evaluation form as an outcome measurement for medical school
Steven J Durning1, Janice Hanson, William Gilliland
1Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814-4712, USA.
Military Medicine
|June 25, 2010
Summary
Qualitative comments from program directors offer valuable insights into postgraduate year 1 (PGY-1) graduate performance. These comments provide outcome measurements beyond numerical data, aiding medical education program improvement.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Graduate Medical Education
- Program Evaluation
Background:
- Medical education programs require robust outcome measurements for curriculum enhancement and accreditation.
- Effective evaluation tools are crucial for assessing program effectiveness and graduate preparedness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the added value of qualitative comments from program directors (PDs) regarding first postgraduate year (PGY-1) graduates.
- To test the hypothesis that qualitative comments provide outcome data not captured by numerical ratings.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 1,247 program director evaluation surveys from 1993-2002.
- Qualitative comments from free-text questions were coded and compared with existing numerical ratings.
- Themes were identified, and inter-rater reliability was assessed (kappa=0.82).
Main Results:
- A higher percentage of graduates (7%) received negative qualitative comments compared to unsatisfactory numerical ratings (4%).
- Qualitative comments provided nuanced feedback, categorizing graduate performance as positive, negative, or neutral.
- The response rate for the surveys was 80%.
Conclusions:
- Qualitative comments from program directors represent a valuable outcome measurement in medical education.
- Incorporating qualitative feedback enhances the comprehensive assessment of PGY-1 graduate performance.
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