Abstract
Introduction
Procedure Based Assessments (PBAs) were recently introduced for orthopaedic trainees and play an increasing role in assessment. The study aims to describe the attitudes of trainees to the educational benefit of PBAs and the factors which underlie these attitudes.
Methodology
A link to an online questionnaire was sent via the eLogbook email system to all orthopaedic trainees in the UK with a National Training Number (NTN). The questions were attitude statements with Likert-type scaled responses, free text responses and closed questions.
Results
Of 668 responses, 616 trainees with NTNs were included, with a good spread of seniority and geographical location. Trainees found PBAs useful for delivery of feedback (53%). The role of PBAs as evidence of competence in the annual review of progression was more controversial, with 31.8% agreeing. 61% of respondents found there were barriers to the successful use of PBAs. Trainee and trainer behaviours have been identified that significantly increase the chance of trainees improving their practice, such as completing the PBA at the time of the procedure (p< 0.001) and the trainer delivering quality feedback when using PBAs (p< 0.001), but completing higher numbers of PBAs does not have this effect (p=0.26). Training Programme Directors (TPDs) were perceived to be supportive of the use of PBAs (67.3%), and trainees with strongly supportive TPDs were more likely to improve their practice using PBAs (p=0.014). There were wide variations between Training Programmes in use of and satisfaction with PBAs.
Conclusion
This is the first nationwide study in the UK investigating the attitudes of trainees to PBAs. Trainees found PBAs can be educationally beneficial, but that this benefit is contingent on a variety of factors highlighted in this study. These findings may inform the debate as to how to improve the effective use of PBAs in orthopaedic training.
