“Improving the Quality, Timeliness, Perception of Resident Feedback Through Structured Conversations”

Feedback is an essential part of the learning process and a key contributor to training competent physicians. While medical educators and trainees recognize the value of effective feedback, two main barriers stand in the way of productive feedback interactions. The first barrier is diverging views about what counts as feedback and when and how it should be delivered. This disconnect manifests in trainees’ perceptions that they are not getting enough or that the feedback they are receiving is not helpful and in educators’ perceptions that trainees are not recognizing or applying the feedback they are given. The second barrier is educators’ discomfort with providing the specific, actionable, and timely feedback that the learners request. Educators often cite a lack of training, limited time, unclear expectations, and a fear of negative consequences as reasons they do not provide the type of feedback trainees want and need. This project aims to reduce both barriers by aligning trainees’ and educators’ expectations for feedback interactions and by helping educators’ increase their competence and confidence when providing feedback.