Use of 360-degree assessment of residents in internal medicine in a Danish setting: a feasibility study

Abstract

Background: The aim of the study was to explore the feasibility of 360 degree assessment in early specialist training in a Danish setting. Present Danish postgraduate training requires assessment of specific learning objectives. Residency in Internal Medicine was chosen for the study. It has 65 learning objectives to be assessed. We considered 22 of these suitable for assessment by 360-degrees assessment.

Methods: Medical departments of six hospitals contributed 42 interns to the study. Each resident was assessed by ten persons of whom one was a secretary, four were nurses and five senior doctors. The assessors spent 14,5 minutes (median) to fill in the forms.

Results: Of the 22 chosen objectives, 15 could reliably be assessed by doctors, 7 by nurses and none by secretaries.

Conclusions: The method was practical in busy clinical departments and was well accepted by the assessors. Reliability of the method was acceptable. It discrimintated satisfactorily between the good and not so good performers.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

P. Allerup

PETER ALLERUP, PhD, is a statistician and professor of Statistics at the Danish University of Education, Copenhagen, Denmark.

K. Aspegren

KNUT ASPEGREN, MD, PhD, is professor of Medical Education at the Postgraduate Deanery, University of Southern Denmark.

E. Ejlersen

EJLER EJLERSEN, MD, is senior lecturers in Postgraduate Medical Education at the Postgraduate Deanery, University of Southern Denmark.

G. JØrgensen

GEORG JØRGENSEN, MD, is consultants in Internal Medicine and responsible for the postgraduate specialist training at their respective departments.

A. Malchow-MØller

AXEL MALCHOW-MØLLER, MD, PhD, is senior lecturers in Postgraduate Medical Education at the Postgraduate Deanery, University of Southern Denmark.

M. K. MØller

MARIANNE KLEIS MØLLER, MD, PhD, is consultants in Internal Medicine and responsible for the postgraduate specialist training at their respective departments.

K. K. Pedersen

KAREN KJÆR PEDERSEN, MD, PhD, is consultants in Internal Medicine and responsible for the postgraduate specialist training at their respective departments.

O. B. Rasmussen

OLE BRUUN RASMUSSEN, MD is consultants in Internal Medicine and responsible for the postgraduate specialist training at their respective departments.

A. Rohold

ALLAN ROHOLD, MD, PhD, is senior lecturers in Postgraduate Medical Education at the Postgraduate Deanery, University of Southern Denmark.

B. SØrensen

BENTE SØRENSEN, MD,c is senior lecturers in Postgraduate Medical Education at the Postgraduate Deanery, University of Southern Denmark.