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Introduction to Observation and Feedback
Learning clinical medicine has always been a "hands on" experience. Although the process of studying medicine involves formal learning situations (such as lectures, rounds, or classroom sessions) and a large amount of personal study ("hitting the books" or working with a computer), the "final common pathway" and most powerful learning occurs when learners work with patients under the guidance of a credible teacher. This implies a "continuous quality improvement" cycle where learners are coached through a process of observation and feedback to enhance their professional skills. Physician-teachers have been trained in this manner for centuries, but the term "feedback" was not used until the 1940s. It was introduced by rocket engineers to describe the process of making trajectory adjustments to ensure artillery and missiles hit the target!
Although we may not think the image too appropriate for medicine, the concept of observing performance, making appropriate adjustments, then validating successful performance is applicable to students and residents working with patients. The process has 4 stages:
. . . but obviously the process continuously repeats to build increasing clinical competency and confidence. This module concerns increasing the ability of preceptors to observe learners and turn observations into powerful teaching tools through giving effective feedback. 1 Qualters DM. Observing students in a clinical setting. Fam Med 1999;31:461-2 |
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Community-Based
Teaching Benefits - Strategies for Teaching in a Busy
Practice Page last updated:
February 24, 2003
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