Professional Education Facilitators introduction into the AHP Workforce (2023)

Type of publication:Service improvement case study

Author(s):*Tony Davies

Citation:SaTH Improvement Hub, July 2023

Abstract:To introduce effective Professional Education Facilitators into the AHP workforce by August 2023 as evidenced by the increase in student numbers, staff questionnaires and an increase in tariff funding (which ultimately increases spending on education within the trust).

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Formative Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) as an Assessment Tool in UK Undergraduate Medical Education: A Review of Its Utility (2023)

Type of publication:
Journal article

Author(s):
*Al-Hashimi, Khalid; Said, Umar N; Khan, Taherah N.

Citation:
Cureus. 15(5):e38519, 2023 May.

Abstract:
The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is a globally established clinical examination; it is often considered the gold standard in evaluating clinical competence within medicine and other healthcare professionals' educations alike. The OSCE consists of a circuit of multiple stations testing a multitude of clinical competencies expected of undergraduate students at certain levels throughout training. Despite its widespread use, the evidence regarding formative renditions of the examination in medical training is highly variable; thus, its suitability as an assessment has been challenged for various reasons. Classically, Van Der Vleuten's formula of utility has been adopted in the appraisal of assessment methods as means of testing, including the OSCE. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the literature surrounding the formative use of OSCEs in undergraduate medical training, whilst specifically focusing on the constituents of the equation and means of mitigating factors that compromise its objectivity.

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Improving Training Compliance Cleanliness Teams (2023)

Type of publication:
Service improvement case study

Author(s):
*Hayley Farmer, *Stacey Jones, *Julie O’Donoghue, *Natalie Matthews, *Sharon Smallwood, *Tracey Fanning

Citation:
SaTH Improvement Hub, 2023

Abstract:
Back in March 2022 the Domestic Teams statutory and mandatory training had been 83% for PRH & 75% for RSH. The domestic teams have found it a challenge in the last few months to complete their mandatory training. In June their compliance dropped to 76% for PRH and 67% for RSH and it has been difficult to raise this compliance %. This coincided with the introduction of the Learning Made Simple platform. We have taken the opportunity to investigate this variation in compliance %, looking at whether the introduction of the Learning Made Simple platform has been the main reason for a decrease in compliance or whether other factors are involved and test various solutions to increase compliance. On the 8th January 2023 report the team at PRH are now at 94.76% and 93.96% for RSH.

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Evaluating the perceptions of workplace-based assessments in surgical training: a systematic review (2022)

Type of publication:
Systematic Review

Author(s):
Mughal Z.; *Patel S.; Gupta K.K.; Metcalfe C.; Beech T.; Jennings C.

Citation:
Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. (no pagination), 2022. Date of Publication: 14 Nov 2022. [epub ahead of print]

Abstract:
INTRODUCTION: Workplace-based assessments (WBAs) are intended to maximise learning opportunities in surgical training. There is speculation as to whether mandatory assessments in this form contribute to a tick-box culture. The objective of this review was to investigate surgical trainees' attitudes towards WBAs. METHOD(S): This systematic review of qualitative studies was performed in accordance with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement. The literature was searched on the Medline, Embase, PubMed and Web of Science databases on 22 March 2022. RESULT(S): Sixteen studies were included in the review, mostly carried out on users of the Intercollegiate Surgical Curriculum Programme portfolio in the UK. Trainees felt that WBAs were educationally useful, providing opportunity for feedback, but this was overshadowed by a pressure to reach a set annual quota for WBAs and achieve high scores. Other themes included inaccurate recording of WBAs, the role of WBAs as formative or summative assessments, engagement and accessibility of trainers, and lack of time to complete WBAs. CONCLUSION(S): Negative perceptions about WBAs were widespread among surgical trainees despite a recognition of their capacity to facilitate learning. This review supports the recent removal of the annual quota for WBAs in UK surgical training programmes.

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A quantitative cross-sectional study assessing the surgical trainee perception of the operating room educational environment (2022)

Type of publication:Journal article

Author(s):Rupani N; Evans A; *Iqbal M

Citation:BMC Medical Education, 2022 Nov 08; Vol. 22 (1), pp. 764

Abstract:Background: Limited hours and service provision are diminishing training opportunities, whilst increasing standards of surgical proficiency is being sought. It is imperative to maximise the value of each educational event. An objective measure of higher surgical trainee perception of the operating room environment in England has not been performed before and this can steer future change in optimising educational events in theatre. The Operating Room Educational Environment Measure (OREEM) evaluates each component of the learning environment to enable optimisation of these educational events. However, the OREEM has not yet been assessed for reliability in higher surgical trainees in England. The aim of the current study was to explore areas of strength and weakness in the educational environment in the operating room as perceived by surgical trainees' in one English region. The secondary aim was to assess the reliability of the OREEM.Methods: Using a quantitative approach, data was collected over one month from surgical trainees in England using the OREEM.Results: Fifty-four surgical trainees completed the questionnaire. The OREEM had good internal consistency (α = 0.906, variables = 40). The mean OREEM score was 79.16%. Areas for improvement included better learning opportunities (average subscale score = 72.9%) and conducting pre- and post-operative teaching (average score = 70.4%). Trainees were most satisfied with the level of supervision and workload (average subscale score = 82.87%). The learning environment favoured senior trainees (p = 0.017). There was a strong correlation between OREEM and the global satisfaction score (p < 0.001).Conclusions: The OREEM was shown to be a reliable measure of the educational environment. It can be used to identify areas of improvement and as an audit tool. The current perception of the education environment is satisfactory, however, areas of improvement include reducing service provision, empowering trainees to plan lists, improving teamwork and using tools to optimise the educational value of each operation. There is a favourable attitude regarding the use of improvement tools, especially for dissatisfied trainees.

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The Rise in Trauma & Orthopaedic Trainee-Led Research and Audit Collaborative Projects in the United Kingdom Since the Start of the COVID-19 Pandemic (2022)

Type of publication:
Conference abstract

Author(s):
*Khaleeq T.; *Kabariti R.; *Ahmed U.

Citation:
British Journal of Surgery. Conference: ASiT Surgical Conference 2022. Aberdeen United Kingdom. 109(Supplement 6) (pp vi35), 2022. Date of Publication: September 2022.

Abstract:
Introduction: There has been a rise in trainee-led trauma & orthopaedic multi-centre research collaborative projects globally. These increase trainee involvement in research with an opportunity to deliver highly generalisable results on a particular topic. Objective(s): To evaluate the number of trauma & orthopaedic trainee-led research collaborative projects that took part since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK and compare them to projects from 2019. Method(s): This was a retrospective study that evaluated trauma & orthopaedic trainee-led national collaborative projects within the UK since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown (March 2020 to June 2021). Our exclusion criteria included any regional collaborative projects, pre Covid- 19 projects and projects of other surgical specialities. Result(s): In 2019, 0 trainee-led collaborative projects were commenced nationally in the UK. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, we identified 10 trainee-led collaborative trauma & orthopaedic projects with 6 being published so far. The level of evidence ranged between 3 and 4 and included 5 Audits and 5 cohort studies. The patients that were included in the studies ranged from 927 to 140,231 from a total of 2249 centres. Conclusion(s): Covid-19 has placed significant challenges across healthcare. However, one positive aspect is the increase in multi-centre trainee-led collaborative projects within the UK. Our study highlights the feasibility of a trainee-led high quality collaborative research projects in the UK and the availability of new tools such as social media and centralised confidential online databases such as Redcap facilitates such projects. Therefore, we recommend expanding this trainee-led collaborative platform in the field of trauma & orthopaedics worldwide.

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The Surgical Trainee Perception of the Operating Room Educational Environment (2022)

Type of publication:
Conference abstract

Author(s):
Rupani N.; Evans A.; *Iqbal M.

Citation:
British Journal of Surgery. Conference: ASiT Surgical Conference 2022. Aberdeen United Kingdom. 109(Supplement 6) (pp vi9-vi10), 2022. Date of Publication: September 2022

Abstract:
Aim: Limited hours and service provision are diminishing training opportunities for surgical trainees. It is therefore imperative to maximise each educational event in theatre. The Operating Room Educational Environment Measure (OREEM) evaluates each component of the theatre learning environment; however, it has not been validated in higher surgical trainees in England. We aim to validate the OREEM and evaluate surgical trainees' objective perspectives of the current operating room educational environment in one region. Method(s): Data was collected over one month from surgical trainees within Health Education Thames Valley using an online questionnaire consisting of: demographic data; the OREEM; a global satisfaction score. Result(s): 54 trainees participated. The OREEM had good internal consistency (alpha=0.906, variables=40) and unidimensionality. Mean OREEM score was 79.16%. Areas for improvement included better learning opportunities (72.9%) and pre/post-operative teaching (70.4%). Trainees were most satisfied with the level of supervision and workload (82.9%). No differences between gender (p=0.535) or hospital type (p=0.099) were demonstrated. The learning environment favoured senior trainees (p=0.017). There was a strong correlation between OREEM and the global satisfaction score (p<0.001). Conclusion(s): The OREEM was shown to be a reliable measure of the educational environment in theatre. It can be used to identify areas of improvement and as an audit tool. Suggested areas of improvement include facilitating pre- and post-operative teaching, reducing service provision, empowering trainees to plan lists, improving teamwork and using tools to optimise the educational value of each operation. There is a favourable attitude regarding the use of such improvement tools, especially for dissatisfied trainees.

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