The educational value of peer groups from a general practitioner perspective

Peer review groups are compulsory for New Zealand (NZ) general practitioners (GPs) but little is known about how they function. This study aimed to understand the educational value of peer group meetings to general practitioners and explore methods of increasing value.

A qualitative study was undertaken comprising a single meeting involving 22 NZ GPs with an interest in education and subsequent thematic analysis on the raw data.

Respondents indicated a strong belief in the educational value of peer groups. Pastoral care was also perceived as a valuable outcome of peer groups that was somewhat separate from the educational value. It would appear that the majority of peer groups work on the basis of internally driven contemporaneous learning needs based on difficult work experiences. There was limited concern over the wide interpretation of what constitutes acceptable topics for discussion as well as the informal nature of training and structuring the meetings.

The interactive nature of peer group learning with subject matter of 'real life' problems would suggest peer groups have the potential to make significant change in the performance of doctors. A broad and differing range of experience in the group is more likely to generate an educationally valuable environment. It would appear that there may be a limited role for assisting peer groups with methods of structuring content and increasing effectiveness.