A pilot study of a practice management training module for medical residents

Abstract

BackgroundIn 2005 a competency based curriculum was introduced in the Dutch postgraduate medical training programs. While the manager’s role is one of the seven key competencies, there is still no formal management course in most postgraduate curricula. Based on a needs assessment we conducted, several themes were identified as important for a possible management training program. We present the results of the pilot training we performed to investigate two of these themes.MethodsThe topics “knowledge of the healthcare system” and “time management” were developed from the list of suggested management training themes. Fourteen residents participated in the training and twenty-four residents served as control. The training consisted of two sessions of four hours with a homework assignment in between. 50 True/false-questions were given as pre- and post-test to both the test and control groups to assess the level of acquired knowledge among the test group as well as the impact of the intervention. We also performed a qualitative evaluation using evaluation forms and in-depth interviews.ResultsAll fourteen residents completed the training. Six residents in the control group were lost to follow up. The pre- and post-test showed improvement among the participating residents in comparison to the residents from the control group, but this improvement was not significant. The qualitative assessment showed that all residents evaluated the training positively and experienced it as a useful addition to their training in becoming a medical specialist.ConclusionOur training was evaluated positively and considered to be valuable. This study supports the need for mandatory medical management training as part of the postgraduate medical curriculum. Our training could be an example of how to teach two important themes in the broad area of medical management education.

The Flipped Classroom as a Pedagogical Tool for Leadership Development in Postgraduate Medical Education

“…This was supported by evidence from the semi-structured interviews. Secondly, it allows students select their preferred learning styles and control both time and pace of learning [39] thereby providing them with the opportunity to take 'responsibility for their own education' [22,35]. Thirdly, students receive a list of literature and audio/video materials beforehand from which they can source their information.…”

“…This was done to gain insight into both the positive and negative aspects of the training module [35]. A series of face-to-face, audio-recorded semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants in the intervention group.…”

“…The general procedure for this study was based on an earlier pilot study by Berkenbosch et al (2014) evaluating a practice management training for residents [35]. The online 30-item multiple choice questionnaire assessed the prior knowledge of all residents on the topics of health care law and medical errors, two weeks before the start of the training module.…”

“…Written informed consent was given before the start of the interviews. Anonymity and confidentiality were explicitly guaranteed before each interview [35].…”

Can case-based discussions be used for leadership development in medical education? - an exploratory inquiry

“…In line with our continued goal to develop a leadership-training curriculum for residents, we decided to explore the views of stakeholders on the suitability of CBD as an instructional method to teach negotiation skills. This topic was one of 10 themes that we identified from a needs assessment study on leadership development among Dutch medical residents (Busari 2012;Brouns et al 2011;Berkenbosch et al 2014).…”