Journal Club Summary
Methodology: 3/5
Usefulness: 3/5
Sterkenburg A, Barach P, Kalkman C, Gielen M, ten Cate O. Acad Med 2010;85(9):1408–17.
In this mixed methods study, the authors employ both quantitative (surveys) and qualitative (interviews) approaches to determine when supervising anesthesiologists decide to entrust their residents with unsupervised tasks. Survey results demonstrated variable expectations by faculty with regards to when residents should be entrusted with unsupervised tasks. Further, residents reported a higher self-efficacy and also a higher level of actual performance/responsibility than mean faculty expectations. In the qualitative portion of this study, factors influencing entrustment decisions fit into four main themes: trainee, supervisors, circumstances, and task. JC attendees felt that while this study was limited by small sample size it should be regarded as a foundational paper in the Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) literature and that this type of study will become increasingly important as we move towards Competency Based Medical Education.
By: Dr. Jeffrey Landreville (Presented May 2015)