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

Competency-based evaluation of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Milestones requires the development of new evaluation tools that can better capture learners' behavior. This study describes the implementation and initial assessment of an innovative point-of-care mobile application, the M3App,© linked to the Family Medicine Milestones.

Seven family medicine residency programs in North Carolina implemented the M3App.© Program faculty and residents were surveyed prior to implementation regarding current evaluation methods and their quality and use and acceptability of electronic evaluation tools. Surveys were repeated after implementation for comparison.

All seven programs successfully implemented the M3App. Most faculty members found the tool well designed, easy to use, beneficial to the quality and efficiency of feedback they provide, and to their knowledge of Milestones. Residents reported significant increases in the volume and quality of written feedback they receive.

The M3App provides an efficient, convenient tool for assessing Milestones that can improve the quantity and quality of feedback residents receive from faculty. Improved faculty perception of knowledge of Milestones after M3App implementation suggests that the tool is also effective for faculty development.