With the expansion of Competency Based Medical Education (CBME), there is increasing reliance on longitudinal assessments to document learner progress over time.
鈥淟earner handover鈥� has emerged as a useful method to address this longitudinal approach, with assessments shared across supervisors, rotations and educational phases to support learner growth and ease transitions.
A stellar lineup of current and former members of the Institute of Health Sciences Education (IHSE) explored, 鈥渢he opinions of, experiences with, and recommendations for successful implementation of learner handover among clinical supervisors鈥� in a recent issue of Perspectives on Medical Education.
The research team included current Institute members Meredith Young, Deborah Danoff, Laurie Plotnick, Beth-Ann Cummings, Carlos Gomez-Garibello along with Val茅rie Dory, the project lead and a member of the 91社区鈥檚 former Centre for Medical Education. Research Assistants Stephanie Mumchian and Nicole Pal were also co-authors of the piece.
Project at a glance
In this study, the research team documented views of clinical supervisors on the risks and benefits of learner handover. Supervisors mentioned that the main benefit of learner handover was the ability to tailor educational experiences to ensure competent practice, resulting in increased patient safety.
These benefits were balanced with potential risks, which centered on the potential bias in future assessments, limiting a learner鈥檚 educational opportunities and potential negative effects on a learners鈥� wellbeing.
Clinical educators also provided suggestions for how to implement learner handover in order to maximize benefits and limit risks to ensure safe educational contexts and the best possible patient care.
Research Assistants share their experience
Research Assistants Ms. Gumuchian and Ms. Pal gained valuable experience in research and publishing as co-authors of the article.
鈥淭he topic of learner handover is definitely a timely and important one and I hope that the work produced by our team will continue to not only enhance understanding of longitudinal assessment but lead to important practical changes in the way that we assess and train our future physicians,鈥� says Stephanie Gumuchian, a research assistant for the project who completed an MSC in Psychiatry at 91社区 and is now a PhD Candidate in Clinical Psychology at Concordia University.
鈥淚t was an absolute pleasure to work on this project on the important topic of learner handover,鈥� says Nicole Pal, who is currently completing a MSc in Global Health at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. 鈥淭hanks to the kind and hard-working team, I鈥檝e learned a great many new skills that I鈥檒l take with me throughout my career as a health researcher.鈥�
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Read the in Perspectives in Medical Education.
*Gumuchian ST, *Pal NE, Young ME, Danoff D, Plotnick LH, Cummings B-A, Gomez-Garibello G, Dory V. (2020). Learner Handover: Perspectives and recommendations from the front-line. Perspectives on Medical Education. E-print available. Doi: 10.1007/s40037-020-00601-4