Quality evaluation reports: Can a faculty development program make a difference?

Background: The quality of medical student and resident clinical evaluation reports submitted by rotation supervisors is a concern. The effectiveness of faculty development (FD) interventions in changing report quality is uncertain. Aims: This study assessed whether faculty could be trained to complete higher quality reports. Method: A 3-h interactive program designed to improve evaluation report quality, previously developed and tested locally, was offered at three different Canadian medical schools. To assess for a change in report quality, three reports completed by each supervisor prior to the workshop and all reports completed for 6 months following the workshop were evaluated by three blinded, independent raters using the Completed Clinical Evaluation Report Rating (CCERR): a validated scale that assesses report quality. Results: A total of 22 supervisors from multiple specialties participated. The mean CCERR score for reports completed after the workshop was significantly higher (21.74 +/- 4.91 versus 18.90 +/- 5.00, p = 0.02). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that this FD workshop had a positive impact upon the quality of the participants' evaluation reports suggesting that faculty have the potential to be trained with regards to trainee assessment. This adds to the literature which suggests that FD is an important component in improving assessment quality.