Improve, but measure in moderation; quality management in specialty residency training

• Published in: Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde Vol. 161; p. D1322
• Main Author: Ter Braak, E W M T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Dutch
• Published: Netherlands 2017
• Subjects: Education, Medical - standards; Humans; Internship and Residency - standards; Medicine; Physicians - psychology; Physicians - standards; Specialization; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 0028-2162; 1876-8784

Intuitively, we believe we gain knowledge through taking measurements, and our appetite for quality measurement in general has grown spectacularly. However, this approach has to be qualified. Many aspects of quality are difficult to measure, yet are very important, and choosing what to measure may be heavily influenced by the availability bias of instruments. Moreover, a lot can be known without actually measuring. Quantitative results tend to offer false reassurance simply by their abundance, and results presented by means of Likert scales may obscure the crucial critique of a minority of respondents. Narrative comments in surveys are often much more meaningful as they can foster an open dialogue between residents and their clinical teachers, preferably led by a neutral chairperson. Contrary to what is often claimed, it is even possible to engage in improvement without prior measurement. I propose measuring only in moderation and instead devoting time and money to patient care and educating residents, and on the design and execution of improvement plans.