Is PHEEM a multi-dimensional instrument? An international perspective

Abstract

Aim: To look at the characteristics of Postgraduate Hospital Educational Environment Measure (PHEEM) using data from the UK, Brazil, Chile and the Netherlands, and to examine the reliability and characteristics of PHEEM, especially how the three PHEEM subscales fitted with factors derived statistically from the data sets.

Methods: Statistical analysis of PHEEM scores from 1563 sets of data, using reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis and correlations of factors derived with the three defined PHEEM subscales.

Results: PHEEM was very reliable with an overall Cronbach's alpha of 0.928. Three factors were derived by exploratory factor analysis. Factor One correlated most strongly with the teaching subscale (R = 0.802), Factor Two correlated most strongly with the role autonomy subscale (R = 0.623) and Factor Three correlated most strongly with the social support subscale (R = 0.538).

Conclusions: PHEEM is a multi-dimensional instrument. Overall, it is very reliable. There is a good fit of the three defined subscales, derived by qualitative methods, with the three principal factors derived from the data by exploratory factor analysis.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

David Wall

David Wall, MB ChB, MMEd, PhD, FRCP, FRCGP is a Deputy Regional Postgraduate Dean and Professor of Medical Education in the West Midlands Deanery, UK.

Mike Clapham

Mike Clapham, MB BS, MSc, PhD, FRCA is an Associate Dean for Education in the West Midlands Deanery, UK, and the Director of Medical Education and a Consultant in Intensive Care at University Hospital Birmingham.

Arnoldo Riquelme

Arnoldo Riquelme, MD, MMedEd is an Undergraduate and Postgraduate Clinical Tutor in Internal Medicine and Consultant in the Department of Gastroenterology at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile School of Medicine, Chile.

Joaquim Vieira

Joaquim Vieira, MD, PhD is a Secretary of Coordination for the Centre for Development of Medical Education 'Prof. Eduardo Marcondes’ – University of Sao Paulo Medical School and an Assistant Physician in Anaesthesia Division at Hospital das Clínicas, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Richard Cartmill

Richard Cartmill, MB BCh BAO, MMED, FRCOG is a Postgraduate Clinical Tutor at Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield, UK, and a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Good Hope Hospital, Sutton Coldfield, UK.

Knut Aspegren

Knut Aspegren, MD, PhD has recently retired and was Professor of Medical Education at the Postgraduate Deanery, University of Southern Denmark.

Sue Roff

Sue Roff, BA (Hons), MA teaches in the Centre for Medical Education, University of Dundee, UK. She co-developed the DREEM and the PHEEM. She is a lay member of the General Medical Council Fitness to Practice Committee and the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board.