ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Feedback is a critical component of the learning process in a clinical setting. This study aims to explore medical residents' perspectives on feedback delivery and identify potential barriers to feedback-seeking in clinical training. METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved 180 medical residents across seventeen specialties. We employed the validated Residency Education Feedback Level Evaluation in Clinical Training (REFLECT) tool to assess residents' perspectives on their attitude toward feedback, quality of feedback, perceived importance, and reaction to feedback. Additionally, we explored barriers to feedback-seeking behavior among medical residents. RESULTS: The majority of medical residents held positive attitudes toward feedback. They agreed that feedback improves their clinical performance (77.7%), professional behavior (67.2%), and academic motivation (56.7%), while also influencing them to become a better specialist in their future career (72.8%). However, the study revealed critical deficiencies in the feedback process. Only 25.6% of residents reported receiving regular feedback and less than half reported that feedback was consistently delivered at suitable times and locations, was sufficiently clear or included actionable plans for improvement. A minority (32.2%) agreed that faculty had sufficient skills to deliver feedback effectively. Moreover, peer-to-peer feedback appeared to be a primary source of feedback among residents. Negative feedback, though necessary, often triggered feelings of stress, embarrassment, or humiliation. Notably, there were no significant differences in feedback perceptions among different specialties. The absence of a feedback-seeking culture emerged as a central barrier to feedback-seeking behavior in the clinical setting. CONCLUSIONS: Establishing shared expectations and promoting a culture of feedback-seeking could bridge the gap between residents' perceptions and faculty feedback delivery. Furthermore, recognizing the role of senior and peer residents as valuable feedback sources can contribute to more effective feedback processes in clinical training, ultimately benefiting resident development and patient care.
Subject(s)
Internship and Residency , Humans , Cross-Sectional Studies , Feedback , Motivation , Peer Group , Clinical CompetenceABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Feedback plays a pivotal role in graduate medical education, where medical residents are expected to acquire a wide range of practical and professional competencies. Assessing the feedback delivery status is a preliminary step for educators to enhance the quality of feedback provided. This study aims to develop an instrument to assess the various aspects of feedback delivery in medical residency training. METHODS: The fifteen-item REFLECT (Residency Education Feedback Level Evaluation in Clinical Training) questionnaire was developed. The content validity was evaluated according to a panel member consisting of fourteen clinical professors and medical education instructors. After evaluating the test-retest reliability, the questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 154 medical residents and was further assessed in terms of internal consistency and factor analysis. RESULTS: Content validity analysis resulted in an appropriate content validity ratio and content validity index for the final 15 items. The test-retest reliability resulted in an ICC of 0.949 (95% C.I. 0.870-0.980), indicating excellent reliability. The Cronbach's alpha for the 15-item questionnaire was α = 0.85, demonstrating good internal consistency. The factor analysis resulted in a four-factor structure: "attitude towards feedback", "quality of feedback", "perceived importance of feedback", and "reaction to feedback". CONCLUSIONS: REFLECT proved to a reliable tool that could be utilized as a quick assessment method of feedback delivery, making it a suitable aid for educational managers and faculties to design necessary interventions aiming to enhance the quantity and quality of feedback provided.
