title: Recommendations for Reporting Mastery Education Research in Medicine (ReMERM).
abstract: Guidelines for reporting several types of medical studies have been described in the literature. However, there are no current guidelines to report studies on mastery learning curriculum development and trainee evaluation in medical education. Such guidelines will be important because medical education is moving toward a competency-based model. The authors sought to define standards for the evaluation of mastery learning curricula using previously published guidelines in related fields and expert review.The authors reviewed previously published guidelines from clinical medicine, medical education, and the social sciences. Six authors with expertise in mastery learning curricula, performance assessment, and medical education compiled and reached agreement about a list of guidelines. The authors later circulated the list to 12 other experts and made revisions. A final list of guidelines was established and received group consensus. The Reporting Mastery Education Research in Medicine (ReMERM) guidelines have 22 categories with 38 items considered to be imperative for reporting a mastery learning research study. Details about each item, with a specific focus on those unique to mastery learning, are discussed.The ReMERM guidelines highlight the importance of developing rigorous curricula that embody reliable measures which yield valid decisions about achievement among medical learners. These guidelines should improve the quality of reporting and help educators, authors, peer reviewers, journal editors, and readers to better understand and evaluate mastery learning research. With this shift to competency-based medical education, the ReMERM guidelines should help meet medical educators' needs to achieve these new goals.
authors.affiliation: E.R. Cohen is research associate, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois. W.C. McGaghie was formerly director, Ralph P. Leischner, Jr. MD Institute for Medical Education, vice-chair, department of medical education, and professor of medical education, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois. He is now professor of medical education, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois. D.B. Wayne is vice dean for education and Dr. John Sherman Appleman professor of medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois. M. Lineberry is assistant professor of medical education, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois. R. Yudkowsky is associate professor of medical education, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois. J.H. Barsuk is associate professor of medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Elaine R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: William C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: McGaghie
authors.forename: Diane B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Wayne
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lineberry
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yudkowsky
authors.forename: Jeffrey H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Barsuk
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003479:Curriculum / Q000639:trends*; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000639:trends*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D017145:Models, Educational; D012106:Research; D012107:Research Design