title: Needs Assessment in Postgraduate Medical Education: A Review.
abstract: Although the concept of needs assessment in continuing medical education is well accepted, there is limited information on needs assessment in postgraduate medical education. We discuss the learning needs of postgraduate trainees and review the various methods of needs assessment such as: questionnaire surveys, interviews, focus groups, chart audits, chart-stimulated recall, standardized patients, and environmental scans in the context of post graduate medical education.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Paediatric Medicine The Hospital for Sick Children University of Toronto Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Savithiri
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ratnapalan
authors.affiliation: a Department of Paediatric Medicine The Hospital for Sick Children University of Toronto Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Robert I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Hilliard
keywords: chart-audit; chart-stimulated recall; environmental scans.; focus groups; interviews; medical education; needs assessment; questionnaire surveys; residents; standardized patients