Piloting the Mobile Medical Milestones Application (M3App©): A Multi-Institution Evaluation

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Competency-Based Assessment
• Digital Health Tools

Background:

• Traditional evaluation methods struggle to capture resident behavior effectively.
• Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Milestones require robust assessment tools.
• Developing innovative evaluation tools is crucial for competency-based medical education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and assess the M3App, a mobile application for Family Medicine Milestones.
• To evaluate the M3App's impact on the quality and efficiency of feedback.
• To gauge faculty and resident perceptions of the M3App.

Main Methods:

• Seven North Carolina family medicine residency programs adopted the M3App.
• Surveys assessed faculty and resident views on evaluation methods before and after implementation.
• Data collection focused on tool usability, acceptability, and impact on feedback.

Main Results:

• Successful implementation of the M3App across all seven programs.
• Faculty perceived the M3App as well-designed, user-friendly, and beneficial for feedback and Milestones knowledge.
• Residents reported significant improvements in the volume and quality of written feedback received.

Conclusions:

• The M3App offers an efficient solution for assessing Milestones and enhancing feedback.
• The application improves both the quantity and quality of faculty-to-resident feedback.
• The M3App appears to be effective for faculty development, enhancing their understanding of Milestones.