title: Peer observation and feedback of resident teaching.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Resident doctors (residents) play a significant role in the education of medical students. Morning work rounds provide an optimal venue to assess resident teaching. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of peer observation of resident work rounds, to evaluate resident perceptions of peer observation and to evaluate resident perceptions of peer feedback.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four internal medicine residents were simultaneously observed by an attending physician and a peer while teaching during work rounds (between August2008 and May 2009). At year-end, residents received a survey to characterise their attitudes towards peer observation and feedback.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-one residents (87.5%) completed the survey. Half (52.4%) felt that participating in the peer observation study stimulated their interest in teaching during work rounds. Prior to participation in the study, fewer than half (42.9%) felt comfortable being observed by their peers, compared with 71.4 percent after participation (p=0.02). The proportion of residents who felt comfortable giving feedback to peers increased from 26.3 to 65.0percent (p=0.004), and the proportion of residents who felt comfortable receiving feedback from peers increased from 76.2 to 95.2 percent (p=0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Peer observation and feedback of resident teaching during work rounds is feasible and rewarding for the residents involved. Comfort with regards to being observed by peers, with receiving feedback from peers and with giving feedback to peers significantly increased after the study. Most residents reported changes in their teaching behaviour resulting from feedback. Residents felt that observing a peer teach on work rounds was one of the most useful activities to improve their own teaching on work rounds.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, USA. lsnydman@tuftsmedicalcenter.org
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Snydman
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chandler
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rencic
authors.forename: Yung-Chi
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Sung
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003142:Communication; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004650:Employee Performance Appraisal / Q000379:methods*; D005246:Feedback; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D010379:Peer Group; D013663:Teaching / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards