Using Multisource Feedback to Assess Resident Communication Skills: Adding a New Dimension to Milestone Data

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Communication
• Resident Assessment

Background:

• Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) mandates communication skills evaluation for residents.
• Effective resident assessment requires input from diverse observers with varied perspectives.
• Current evaluation methods may lack specificity for resident communication skill development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare parent, nurse, and physician ratings of resident communication skills.
• To assess the correlation between these evaluations and ACGME milestone data.
• To gather resident feedback on the utility of multi-source feedback.

Main Methods:

• Parents, nurses, and physicians evaluated resident communication skills during the 2016-2017 academic year.
• Multivariate analysis of variance compared rater group scores; correlations assessed association with ACGME milestones.
• Residents provided feedback on the specificity and usefulness of 360-degree evaluations.

Main Results:

• Parents rated resident communication skills significantly higher than nurses and physicians.
• No significant difference was found between nurse and physician ratings.
• Physician ratings correlated with ACGME milestone data; residents found multi-source feedback more specific and useful than typical feedback.

Conclusions:

• Parental perspectives offer unique insights into resident communication and should be incorporated into evaluations.
• Multi-source feedback instruments enhance resident self-awareness of communication strengths and weaknesses.
• 360-degree evaluations are valuable tools for improving resident communication skills in graduate medical education.