Enhancing MSW Field Education Using Rapid Cycle Quality Improvement: Feasibility and Acceptability of an Online Weekly Feedback Tool and Process

ABSTRACT

Rapid Cycle Quality Improvement (RCQI) is often required for behavioral health work force training and evaluation projects supported by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The RCQI process is well established within healthcare but under-utilized in academia to improve teaching and learning. We created and piloted the Friday Feedback (FF) survey tool as part of a HRSA funded training program for weekly completion by MSW interns. Across two semesters of full-time field education, a cohort of 15 MSW students completed 281 weekly FF surveys. Students reported activities such as number of patients seen, observations about integration of behavioral and physical health, patient successes and challenges, and time spent working on interdisciplinary teams. Cumulatively, students reported working with 2,425 patients/clients and in frequent close collaboration with other health professions. A review team comprised of faculty and staff met weekly to discuss students’ FF data and create response plans to promote student learning. The RCQI process was feasible and acceptable to students and the team. It created a feedback loop to improve students’ field experiences, enhanced the curriculum, and enabled effective monitoring and rapid response from team to students. Benefits and challenges of this RCQI approach to enhance field education along with lessons learned for wider adoption are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Field education
• teaching research
• clinical training
• curriculum enhancement
• rapid cycle quality improvement

Acknowledgments

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant #M01HP31357, Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training for Professionals, 1.9 million, 2017-2021 (Janet Liechty, PI). This information or content and conclusions are those of the authors and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by, HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. The authors would like to thank MSW students in the BHWELL HRSA Scholars training program for piloting the weekly Friday Feedback tool; BWHELL team members who participated in weekly review meetings to implement this model (Kenna Dunlap-Johnson, Andrea Harris); and colleagues for input during the development of the initial Friday Feedback tool (Peter Mulhall, Michael Glasser, Martin MacDowell). The authors also thank Stephanie Sloane for assistance with figure formatting and literature updates.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [#M01HP31357].