Automated Reminders Improve Feedback in Surgical Training.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Healthcare Quality Improvement

Background:

• Effective feedback is crucial for medical residents, especially in surgical subspecialties like otolaryngology.
• Timeliness and frequency are key factors influencing feedback quality.
• Discrepancies often exist between faculty and trainee perceptions of feedback.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance satisfaction with feedback among faculty and residents in an otolaryngology program.
• To evaluate the impact of an automated text message intervention on feedback delivery.

Main Methods:

• A month-long survey and automated text message intervention were implemented in 2023.
• Text message reminders were sent to faculty after surgical cases to prompt oral feedback and form completion.
• Pre- and postintervention surveys assessed perceptions of the feedback system.

Main Results:

• A 13-fold increase in completed competency-based feedback forms was observed.
• Resident and faculty satisfaction with feedback improved, with resident satisfaction reaching statistical significance.
• Key barriers identified included faculty forgetfulness, resident reluctance to ask for feedback, and time constraints.

Conclusions:

• Automated reminders are effective in increasing the timeliness and quantity of feedback.
• This study provides preliminary data for a scalable intervention to improve residency feedback nationwide.
• Further improvements in feedback quality and frequency are potential areas for future iteration.