Exploring Faculty Approaches to Feedback in the Simulated Setting: Are They Evidence Informed?

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Clinical Skills Assessment

Background:

• Effective feedback is crucial for learning in clinical education and simulated experiences.
• Faculty often face challenges in applying evidence-based feedback guidelines.
• Understanding faculty approaches to feedback is essential for improving educational practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how faculty approach feedback delivery.
• To examine the alignment of faculty feedback behaviors with evidence-informed recommendations.
• To identify areas for faculty development in providing feedback.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of video-recorded feedback simulations and debriefings.
• Template analysis used to examine faculty approaches against evidence-based recommendations.
• Involved 18 faculty preceptors and 11 facilitators in simulated feedback encounters.

Main Results:

• Significant variability observed in faculty feedback approaches compared to recommended practices.
• Aligned behaviors included conversational style, tailored feedback, specific examples, and collaborative planning.
• Misaligned behaviors included prioritizing tasks over relationships, inflexibility, and vague improvement plans.

Conclusions:

• Faculty exhibit diverse feedback skills, with notable variations from recommended practices.
• Simulated feedback offers a safe, controlled environment for faculty skill enhancement.
• Developing these skills is vital for resident progress in competency-based medical education.