Peer learning on a shoe string: success of a distributive model for peer learning in a community radiology practice

CAR Peer Learning Guide

“…Peer learning seeks to avoid the deleterious and adversarial effects of traditional peer review on organizational culture by removing the punitive aspects of peer review and focusing solely on identifying and learning from error. 26 Peer learning incorporates just culture by acknowledging the inherent fallibility of human nature but seeking to mitigate this through a focus on education, system improvement, and commitment to shared learning. A successful program shifts the focus from the insular "me" to a collaborative "we," resulting in increased satisfaction with program goals and educational value for participating radiologists.…”

“…23 Smaller groups have left case collection up to individual radiologists. 26 Each method has pros and cons, but the underlying principle is constant: invoke principles of crowdsourcing to encourage relevant case submission and foster buy-in from radiologists in the department. By engaging radiologists to submit cases of interest, the peer learning coordinator can encourage participation and enhance the relevance of the peer learning process to local practice conditions.…”

“…Most departments that have implemented peer learning have established some sort of feedback mechanism to assess radiologist satisfaction with the program. 21,24,26,31 While some participants initially doubted the degree of difference between peer learning and peer review, follow up questionnaires have consistently revealed perceptions of positive collaboration and improvement with peer learning rather than the punitive or retributive perceptions with peer review. This highlights the value of peer learning in and of itself.…”

“…Before implementing a peer learning program, a department should conduct a readiness assessment. This may be as simple as outlining the structure of peer learning case submission and presentation 26 to an in-depth assessment of departmental acceptance and readiness for a peer learning program. Further considerations include whether the program will replace a peer review program, or if the two programs will operate in parallel within the department, in addition to administrative support and regulatory requirements in a specific jurisdiction.…”

Online conferencing software in radiology: Recent trends and utility

“…In one example, this approach allowed radiologists, residents, fellows, and medical students from 14 institutions in 10 states to engage in valuable peer feedback, improvement, and learning. 20 Furthermore, in order to gain an even wider audience, meetings were recorded and posted via YouTube (Google, San Bruno, CA) for streaming across the globe. 18 Considering that videoconferencing is easy to implement, low cost and saves time, its use may attract more participants towards a peer learning approach and help promote a culture of improvement with wide reaching audiences.…”