Using the CLER Pathways to Excellence to Evaluate the Learning Environments at a Multi-Site Institution.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Clinical Learning Environments

Background:

• The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Clinical Learning Environment Review (CLER) program offers valuable feedback but is limited to one site per institution.
• This limited scope may result in institutions missing critical insights into other clinical learning environments.
• A need exists for broader evaluation methods to assess multiple learning sites.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the application of the Emory Learning Environment Evaluation process, modeled after CLER, for enhancing clinical training sites.
• To assess the effectiveness of this evaluation process across five major clinical training locations.
• To identify areas for improvement in clinical learning environments.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an evaluation process modeled after the CLER Pathways to Excellence.
• Conducted separate 60-minute sessions for medical students, residents/fellows, and faculty at each site.
• Employed a combination of fixed-choice and open-ended questions via audience response systems and verbal queries.
• Analyzed data using descriptive statistics and graphical representations.

Main Results:

• Learners reported positive experiences with supportive cultures for requesting supervision and reporting patient safety events.
• Medical students showed high agreement (100%) on supportive supervision culture.
• A significant minority of residents, fellows, and faculty felt inadequately educated on providing effective supervision (21%-64%).

Conclusions:

• The Emory Learning Environment Evaluation process facilitated standardized improvement efforts across multiple clinical learning environments.
• The findings highlight the need for improved education on supervision for faculty and trainees.
• This evaluation model offers a scalable approach to assessing and enhancing clinical learning environments within sponsoring institutions.