Making Teaching Count: Optimization of Resident Conference Learning using Quality Improvement Methodology

• Published in: Pediatrics (Evanston) 2019-08, Vol.144 (2_MeetingAbstract), p.144-144
• Main Authors: Mackie, Stewart, Koenigs, Laura, Senn-McNally, Molly, Igarashi, Satoko, Knee, Alex
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Curricula; Evaluation; Intervention; Optimization; Pediatrics; Program evaluation; Quality control; Quality improvement; Teaching
• ISSN: 0031-4005; 1098-4275
• DOI: 10.1542/peds.144.2MA2.144

Background: Regularly scheduled didactics such as academic half days (AHDs) or noon conferences have become one of the primary modalities for structured teaching of many residency programs and is a requirement from the ACGME. Our residency program, like many, had changes to the conference curriculum occurring on a semiannual or annual basis during periods of program evaluation. We had feedback that our conference series was suboptimal and made many changes at the onset of the 2016-2017 academic year. We sought a more iterative process to identify the lowest performing series and make changes to improve it. We believed the application of Quality Improvement (QI) methodology to the evaluation of structured learning in a residency program would be able to do this. Our objective was to utilize Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles to improve the lowest performing conference series based on resident evaluations. Aim Statement: Our SMART aim statement was 80% of evaluations will be above the baseline median by 9 months from study initiation. In order to achieve this a new resident evaluation tool using eight 5-point Likert item questions was developed and optimized using a focus group of program leadership and residents from each class (Figure 1). Evaluations were distributed in paper format over 9 months and two intervention cycles were performed. Session evaluation scores were classified as meeting expectations (Likert score ≥4) or not meeting expectations (Likert Score