Factors Identified by Faculty That Contribute to Straight-Line Scoring in End-of-Rotation Evaluations of...

This study examined the prevalence of "straight-line scoring" (SLS), where all subcompetencies are rated the same, in anesthesiology resident evaluations. Nearly half of the evaluations used SLS, particularly in higher training levels. Faculty interviews revealed contributing factors: lack of specific performance information, reluctance to give extreme scores, mismatch between evaluation items and actual work, limited answer options, low priority given to assessments, and perceived lack of usefulness. The authors suggest improvements to the evaluation tool, faculty training, timely completion, increased performance data collection, and a culture shift to reduce SLS and enhance feedback value.