What we measure … and what we should measure in medical education

Abstract

As in most professions, there are clear tensions in medicine in relation to what should be assessed, who should be responsible for administering assessment content, and how much evidence should be gathered to support the evaluation process. Although there have been advances in assessment practices, there is still room for improvement. From the student's, resident's and practising physician's perspectives, assessments need to be relevant. Knowledge is certainly required, but there are other qualities and attributes that are important, and perhaps far more important. Research efforts spent now on delineating what makes a good physician, and on aligning new and upcoming assessment tools with the relevant competencies, will ensure that assessment practices, whether aimed at establishing competence or at fostering learning, are effective with respect to their primary goal: to produce qualified physicians.

Evaluating the effectiveness of undergraduate clinical education programs

“…With a rapidly changing healthcare landscape and increasing public demands for accountability, the discourse on evaluation frameworks are shifting towards measures of patient outcomes [15,16]. As the Institute of Medicine [17] highlighted the need for clinical education to fit healthcare needs, calls to examine the effects of educational training on the quality of care provided by health profession learners followed [15,16,[18][19][20][21][22]. Early responses included recommendations for 'evidence-guided education', whereby medical educators monitor clinical outcomes to inform the design of medical education programs [23]; others called for the development of research agendas to examine the impact of educational programs on clinical outcomes [18].…”

Legitimizing Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI): Navigating Rationality in Undergraduate Medical Education

“…36 Recognize that validly measuring some medicine-specific constructs (e.g., professionalism, lifelong learning, systems-based practice) may demand added diligence and attention. 41 Finally, ensure that metrics, however chosen, are widely disseminated and understood.…”

Exploring transformative learning when developing medical students' non‐technical skills

“…In general, these have been reported to result in positive outcomes, which suggests educational utility but with variable methodology, with some reports demonstrating improved NTS in response to an intervention and others showing improved insight into NTS through student feedback . Immersive simulation lends itself well to training in NTS as it can provide an encounter designed to highlight these skills, with subsequent facilitated discussions to allow learners to reflect and build meaning from their experience . This draws on constructivist principles whereby learners reflect on prior knowledge and construct new worldviews through lived experiences .…”

“…12,13 Immersive simulation lends itself well to training in NTS as it can provide an encounter designed to highlight these skills, with subsequent facilitated discussions to allow learners to reflect and build meaning from their experience. 17,18 This draws on constructivist principles whereby learners reflect on prior knowledge and construct new worldviews through lived experiences. 19 In particular, social constructivism can contribute to medical simulation through the recognition that learning is inherently social.…”