Giving effective feedback to psychiatric trainees

Abstract

SummaryFeedback is an essential part of the learning process. Feedback can be positive or negative, constructive or destructive, minimal or in depth. It must always occur and should never be ignored. The role of effective feedback is critical in the modern postgraduate medical educational process in the UK, with its emphasis on competency-based curricula and workplace-based assessment. Feedback is not new in medical education and has been shown in research to be effective in bringing about change, particularly improvement in clinical performance. There are clear principles and features of good and bad feedback and these are highlighted, along with descriptions of models for use in daily practice.

Case-based discussion

“…It is axiomatic that a well-conducted assessment must be accompanied by timely and effective feedback, as has previously been discussed in this journal (Brown 2009 …”

“…Case-based discussion in postgraduate medical education, in common with other workplace-based assessments, must always be accompanied by effective feedback to aid performance improvement. Therefore, assessors must also be skilled in offering timely and effective feedback (Brown 2009). …”

The MRCPsych post-2015: preparing trainees and improving courses

“…To maximise the potential of WPBAs to assist trainees in passing the MRCPsych, trainees must receive direct and relevant feedback on their clinical work (Brown 2006). It is therefore important that assessors follow the seven basic requirements of effective performance feedback (Brown 2009) (Box 3). Although there is no absolute requirement for trainees to gain feedback from patients, consideration also needs to be given to this.…”

Systematic review of workplace-based assessments in psychiatry: surgical dissection and recommendations for improvement

“…Workplace-based assessments must provide relevant feedback to trainees, 4 which is a powerful instrument in furthering their personal and professional development. 24 However, even the best-intended feedback may be unhelpful if it is not descriptive or specific enough. 28 Assessing performance against an agreed exit standard for all trainees, including those who have just started in their post, remains problematic.…”

“…21 Although assessor training can reduce the potential 'hawk' or 'dove' effects of individual assessors, there are wider problems. These include the fears of trainers damaging their trainer-trainee relationship by giving low scores, 24 the 'acquaintance effect' where trainees who are well-known to the rater are scored higher, 21 and that more senior staff tend to give lower but more accurate ratings compared with less senior staff. 22 We have all come across the core trainee with a portfolio of perfect WPBA scores, baffled by their failure to pass the MRCPsych CASC exam.…”