Using a Virtual Simulation Workshop to Teach Interns Evidence-Based Feedback Techniques

Background The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requires residents to demonstrate competence in integrating feedback into their daily practice. With the shift to virtual medical education during the pandemic, the need for new skills in delivering effective feedback through virtual media has emerged. Methodology This study aimed to assess the feasibility of a virtual bootcamp for interns, utilizing virtual simulation workshops to teach effective feedback skills. The curriculum employed a situated learning-guided participation framework. Virtual standardized students participated, and interns engaged in activities such as providing virtual feedback, completing self-assessments, and receiving instruction on feedback principles, including the one-minute preceptor's five micro-skills. Interns repeated the feedback process, with virtual students providing assessments. Data were collected from 105 incoming interns at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in June 2021 and June 2022, using Zoom® as the online platform. Results Competency assessments revealed a significant post-training increase in proficiency/expert milestones (88% versus 47%, p = 0.007). Interns' self-assessments also significantly improved (18.02 versus 16.74, p = 0.001), particularly for previously trained interns (18.27 versus 16.7). Non-primary care interns outperformed primary care interns in milestone scores. The majority of interns (80%) reported valuable learning experiences during the workshop, with 70% expressing confidence in using the one-minute preceptor technique during residency. The one-minute preceptor step "reinforce what was right" was deemed the easiest, while "obtain commitment" and "explore emotional reaction" presented significant challenges. Conclusions This study demonstrates the potential of virtual workshops to enhance intern competency in delivering effective feedback through formal processes and the one-minute preceptor. These virtual approaches offer innovative alternatives to in-person teaching, enabling evaluation at higher levels of Miller's pyramid of clinical competence.