Assessing the quality of feedback to general internal medicine residents in a competency-based environment.

Abstract

Participants in this study viewed narrative, actionable, and specific feedback as essential, and an overall preference was found for written feedback over numerical assessments. However, our quantitative analyses showed that specific actionable feedback was rarely documented, despite finding an emphasis from both residents and preceptors of its importance for developing competency. Neither formative WBAs nor summative ITERs clearly provided better feedback, and both may still have a role in overall resident evaluation. Participant views differed in roles and responsibilities, with residents stating that preceptors should be responsible for initiating assessments and vice-versa. These results reveal an incongruence between resident and preceptor perceptions and practice around giving feedback and emphasize opportunities for programs adopting and implementing CBME to address how best to support residents and frontline clinical teachers.