A questionnaire for quality control in postgraduate medical education in Switzerland

Figures & data

Figure 1. Flowchart of the development of the resident questionnaire.

Table 1. Data of the eight scales from the survey year 2020. Valid cases (N), mean values (M), standard deviations (SD), and Cronbach’s alpha.

	N	Mean (SD)	Cronbachs α
Overall assessment	8,314	4.83 (1.15)	0.95
Professional competencies	8,047	4.88 (0.76)	0.96
Leadership culture	8,313	4.82 (1.09)	0.94
Incident reporting	8,293	4.95 (0.93)	0.78
Work environment	8,317	4.96 (1.05)	0.89
Learning culture	8,321	4.83 (0.95)	0.89
Decision-making culture	8,164	5.10 (0.87)	0.87
Evidence-based medicine	8,286	4.48 (1.09)	0.88

Note: Residents who have worked at a postgraduate medical institution for less than 2 months were excluded from the analyses.

Table 2. Results of the linear regression analysis^a with overall assessment as the dependent variable for the overall sample^b.

	B (se)	95% CI	β	t
Constant	–0.66 (0.04)	[–0.75,–0.58]		–15.43*
Professional competencies	0.25 (0.02)	[0.22,0.28]	0.17	17.18*
Learning culture	0.19 (0.01)	[0.17,0.22]	0.16	14.97*
Leadership culture	0.34 (0.01)	[0.31,0.36]	0.32	27.70*
Incident reporting	–0.00 (0.01)	[–0.02,0.02]	–0.01	–0.12
Decision-making culture	–0.06 (0.01)	[–0.08,–0.04]	–0.04	–5.58*
Work environment	0.36 (0.01)	[0.33,0.38]	0.32	32.67*
Evidence-based medicine	0.06 (0.01)	[0.04,0.07]	0.06	7.57*

Note: B is the non-standardized regression coefficient. For B, the 95% confidence interval is shown. β is the standardized regression coefficient.

R² = .78, Significance: *p < 0.001.

^aGender of residents, language of the questionnaire and duration of the postgraduate medical education was controlled for.

^bResidents who have worked at a postgraduate medical institution for less than 2 months were excluded from the analyses.

Table 3. Mean values (M) of the eight scales since 2005. .

	Overall assessment	Professional competencies	Learning culture	Leadership culture	Incident reporting	Decision-making culture	Work environ- ment	Evidence-based medicine
	M	M	M	M	M	M	M	M
2005	–	4.68	4.73	4.69	–	–	4.88	–
2006	–	4.63	4.72	4.63	–	–	4.82	–
2007	–	4.58	4.69	4.62	–	–	4.80	–
2008	–	4.65	4.83	4.66	–	4.92	4.86	–
2009	4.76	4.67	4.76	4.67	4.77	4.90	4.87	–
2010	4.76	4.70	4.77	4.68	4.84	4.91	4.86	–
2011	4.74	4.70	4.74	4.67	4.83	4.97	4.86	4.28
2012	4.79	4.75	4.79	4.74	4.89	4.99	4.90	4.33
2013	4.79	4.77	4.77	4.76	4.90	5.01	4.90	4.37
2014	4.82	4.78	4.77	4.75	4.92	5.03	4.92	4.39
2015	4.82	4.79	4.78	4.78	4.92	5.03	4.93	4.36
2016	4.85	4.83	4.81	4.81	4.96	5.06	4.96	4.43
2017	4.86	4.85	4.82	4.83	4.96	5.09	4.98	4.47
2018	4.87	4.88	4.84	4.85	4.98	5.10	4.98	4.48
2019	4.85	4.88	4.83	4.83	4.99	5.11	4.99	4.49
2020	4.83	4.88	4.83	4.82	4.95	5.10	4.96	4.48

Note:

• Scales from previous years were partly recalculated so that all mean values listed in the table are directly comparable.

• Scales that comprise the same items as in the latest version of the questionnaire are highlighted.

• The standard deviations range from 0.75 to 1.15 (depending on the scale).

• N ranges from N = 5371, in 2005, to N = 8321, in 2020.

• The results of the 2003 and 2004 surveys were not listed here, because the questionnaire was structured quite differently.

• Residents who have worked at a postgraduate medical institution for less than 2 months were excluded from the analyses.

Table 4. Percentages of directors’ responses to the statement ‘The results of our medical training site were fair’ 2005–2009.

The results of our medical training site were fair.
	2005		2006		2007		2008		2009
	N	Share (%)	N	Share (%)	N	Share (%)	N	Share (%)	N	Share (%)
Does not apply (at all)	132	15.2	76	8.4	96	10.6	104	11.0	91	9.5
Undecided	301	34.8	297	33.1	301	33.3	317	33.6	322	33.8
Applies (fully)	432	50.0	524	58.5	506	56.1	524	55.4	539	56.7
Total	865	100.0	897	100.0	903	100.0	945	100.0	952	100.0

Valid Cases (N) and Share (%). Note: Responses were given on a scale of 1 to 6 and were grouped into three categories: does not apply (at all) (1–2), undecided (3–4), and applies (fully) (5–6).

Table 5. Percentage of directors’ responses to the statement ‘The results of the survey made me rethink our postgraduate training‘ 2005–2009.

The results of the survey made me rethink our postgraduate training.
	2005		2006		2007		2008		2009
	N	Share (%)	N	Share (%)	N	Share (%)	N	Share (%)	N	Share (%)
Does not apply (at all)	185	21.5	174	19.4	190	21.0	173	18.3	176	18.5
Undecided	308	35.8	368	41.1	345	38.2	356	37.6	393	41.4
Applies (fully)	367	42.7	354	39.5	368	40.8	416	44.1	380	40.1
Total	860	100.0	896	100.0	903	100.0	945	100.0	949	100.0

Valid Cases (N) and Share (%). Note: Responses were given on a scale of 1 to 6 and were grouped into three categories: does not apply (at all) (1–2), undecided (3–4), and applies (fully) (5–6).

Table 6. Percentage of directors’ responses to the statement ‘Feedback from the survey have motivated me to initiate changes‘ 2005–2009.

Feedback from the survey have motivated me to initiate changes.
	2005		2006		2007		2008		2009
	N	Share (%)	N	Share (%)	N	Share (%)	N	Share (%)	N	Share (%)
Does not apply (at all)	165	19.3	160	17.9	175	19.4	174	18.5	156	16.4
Undecided	367	42.6	430	48.0	384	42.5	411	43.7	446	46.8
Applies (fully)	327	38.1	305	34.1	343	38.1	356	37.8	350	36.8
Total	859	100.0	895	100.0	902	100.0	941	100.0	952	100.0

Valid Cases (N) and Share (%). Note: Responses were given on a scale of 1 to 6 and grouped into three categories: does not apply (at all) (1–2), undecided (3–4), and applies (fully) (5–6).