Encouraging residents to seek feedback.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Professional Development
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• Effective feedback is crucial for resident development in medical training.
• Understanding resident and faculty perceptions of feedback is essential for optimizing learning environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore resident and faculty perceptions of the feedback process.
• To specifically investigate residents' feedback-seeking behaviors and the factors influencing them.

Main Methods:

• Conducted focus groups with faculty and residents.
• Employed qualitative methods and iterative thematic analysis of transcribed audiotapes.

Main Results:

• Identified four key factors influencing resident feedback-seeking: learning culture, relationships, feedback quality, and emotional responses.
• Found agreement between residents and faculty on feedback barriers and supports.
• Highlighted tensions stemming from fear of deficiency and perceived value of clinical work over learning.

Conclusions:

• Resident feedback-seeking is multifactorial, requiring attention to both faculty and learner roles.
• Strategies to mitigate tensions and support feedback-seeking are needed to enhance resident education.