Surg J R Coll Surg E
-
Objective assessment of technical skill is an important component of skills training: trainees require that deficiencies are clearly and objectively identified if a model of deliberate practice with feedback on skill acquisition is to be employed. There are several types of reliable and valid assessments for technical skill currently available.
-
The delivery of healthcare is undergoing a major transition period across the globe. Drivers for change range from the introduction of new technologies such as primary angioplasty and robotic surgery, to restriction in work hours of trainee doctors.
-
Surg J R Coll Surg E · Jan 2011
ReviewImpact of reduced working time on surgical training in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The European Working Time Directive (EWTD) 48 h working week has been law in European countries since 1998. A phased approach to implementation was agreed for doctors in training, which steadily brought down working hours to 58 in 2004, 56 in 2007 and 48 in 2009. ⋯ Shorter sessions of work have led to complex rotas, frequent handovers with difficulties maintaining continuity of care with implications for patient safety. Although there has been over 10 years notice of the changes to the working week and progress has up to now been reasonable (helped, in part by a steady increase in consultant numbers) this latest reduction from 56 h to 48 h seems to have been the most difficult to manage.
-
Surg J R Coll Surg E · Jan 2011
ReviewWorkplace-based assessment: the need for continued evaluation and refinement.
Workplace-Based Assessment (WBA) has been an integral part of the UK Intercollegiate Surgical Curriculum Programme (ISCP) since 2007 (www.iscp.ac.uk). The UK Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (now part of the General Medical Council) has defined WBA as 'the assessment of working practices based on what trainees actually do in the workplace, and predominantly carried out in the workplace itself' (www.gmc.org.uk). This article reviews the purpose of WBA and the methods in current use. It also discusses the misuse of WBA and possible solutions, including redesign of the rating scales.
-
Surg J R Coll Surg E · Jan 2011
International consensus statement on surgical education and training in an era of reduced working hours.
An international consensus statement has been developed as a reference on the key principles to be considered during discussions on surgical education and training and the delivery of surgical care in an era of restricted hours.