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Feedback for Medicine Long Cases using PebblePadPresented byRuth Weeks & Jane BleaselEducational Innovation/Sydney MedicalProgram

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Background Sydney Medical Program• Four year graduate programme• Stage 3 - Medicine core blocks• 8 weeks of medicine• Expected to do 1 long case per

week (so 8 total)• Present to supervisor• Supervisor provides feedback

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Image by Nimfolb http://bit.ly/2cymlPL accessed 15/09/2016

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The ProblemIn 2013:• 42% of students did 3 or less

cases• No tracking of cases, no useful

formative feedback – only 35% reported useful feedback on case

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Background-Survey of students Medicine core blocks- 2013

Number of long cases presented in Medicine term

42% did 3 or less

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Background- Supervisor feedback

Teaching staff gave me helpful feedback on my progress n =264

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The challenge• Students attached to one of 7 Clinical

Schools• Paper cases get lost; hard to track

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• Formalise the process of long cases

• Monitor student progress

• Repository of evidence • Provide feedback on

- verbal and written case.

The aim

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In addition…

• track who was engaging with long cases• capture data about long case verbal

presentations – who was really observing them!

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Methods - Changes to improve clinical skills

– One long case per week (8 in year 3)– Presented to supervisor, other consultant,

registrar or resident– Feedback form filled in– Write up case (reflect on verbal feedback)– Upload case history to PebblePad (ePortfolio

system)

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Methods - Changes to improve clinical skills

Feedback - Assessment form of oral presentation (uploaded) - Feedback provided on written case

Data on: - Who case presented to (verbal) - How many episodes of feedback (written)

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Individual student workbook

12

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Feedback and dialogue

14

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Feedback and dialogue

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Results-Verbal presentation of cases- overall

33%

17%

32%

17%Supervisor

Consultant

Registrar

RMO

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Student Feedback

–  – “I was surprised by the amount of feedback that I got… ,

it was again, just two cases that were reviewed but there was a substantial paragraph with different things. And again, I had like medical related and then content and, sort of, form related feedback.  

–  – “The feedback was excellent. Much more so than I – I

kind of expect, you know, like most uni feedback is like congratulations on submitting your assignment…”-

–  – Yeah but I thought it was really good they included who –

who the markers are, clearly put effort and they clearly read it and (gave) good feedback. I think we all thought it was very surprisingly in depth.  

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Technical barriers

– there seemed to be a lot of redundant steps in the software, like having to click things multiple times and then click save and then click submit. Um, the issue I had was I’d submitted about three or four long cases and the clinical school told me I hadn’t submitted any, um, and it turns out I hadn’t clicked the final step

– It’s a little – I found it a bit cumbersome to use. Ah, so the interface on it, um, is really difficult, um, so initially it didn’t actually work on my computer

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And then….

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The future

– PebblePad V5 much simpler to use– Curriculum embedding– Bespoke forms/templates in mobile app for use in

Clinical Settings– Collaborations with other Medical Schools