Evaluating Reflective Writing Fostering and Evaluating Reflective Capacity in Medical Education: Developing the REFLECT Rubric for Assessing Reflective Writing

Abstract Purpose Reflective writing (RW) curriculum initiatives to promote reflective capacity are proliferating within medical education. The authors developed a new evaluative tool that can be effectively applied to assess students' reflective levels and assist with the process of providing individualized written feedback to guide reflective capacity promotion. Method Following a comprehensive search and analysis of the literature, the authors developed an analytic rubric through repeated iterative cycles of development, including empiric testing and determination of interrater reliability, reevaluation and refinement, and redesign. Rubric iterations were applied in successive development phases to Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University students' 2009 and 2010 RW narratives with determination of intraclass correlations (ICCs). Results The final rubric, the Reflection Evaluation for Learners' Enhanced Competencies Tool (REFLECT), consisted of four reflective capacity levels ranging from habitual action to critical reflection, with focused criteria for each level. The rubric also evaluated RW for transformative reflection and learning and confirmatory learning. ICC ranged from 0.376 to 0.748 for datasets and rater combinations and was 0.632 for the final REFLECT iteration analysis. Conclusions The REFLECT is a rigorously developed, theory-informed analytic rubric, demonstrating adequate interrater reliability, face validity, feasibility, and acceptability. The REFLECT rubric is a reflective analysis innovation supporting development of a reflective clinician via formative assessment and enhanced crafting of faculty feedback to reflectiv

A systematic review and meta-synthesis of the impact of low back pain on people's lives

Copyright @ 2014 Froud et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited.Background - Low back pain (LBP) is a common and costly problem that many interpret within a biopsychosocial model. There is renewed concern that core-sets of outcome measures do not capture what is important. To inform debate about the coverage of back pain outcome measure core-sets, and to suggest areas worthy of exploration within healthcare consultations, we have synthesised the qualitative literature on the impact of low back pain on people’s lives. Methods - Two reviewers searched CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, PEDro, and Medline, identifying qualitative studies of people’s experiences of non-specific LBP. Abstracted data were thematic coded and synthesised using a meta-ethnographic, and a meta-narrative approach. Results - We included 49 papers describing 42 studies. Patients are concerned with engagement in meaningful activities; but they also want to be believed and have their experiences and identity, as someone ‘doing battle’ with pain, validated. Patients seek diagnosis, treatment, and cure, but also reassurance of the absence of pathology. Some struggle to meet social expectations and obligations. When these are achieved, the credibility of their pain/disability claims can be jeopardised. Others withdraw, fearful of disapproval, or unable or unwilling to accommodate social demands. Patients generally seek to regain their pre-pain levels of health, and physical and emotional stability. After time, this can be perceived to become unrealistic and some adjust their expectations accordingly. Conclusions - The social component of the biopsychosocial model is not well represented in current core-sets of outcome measures. Clinicians should appreciate that the broader impact of low back pain includes social factors; this may be crucial to improving patients’ experiences of health care. Researchers should consider social factors to help develop a portfolio of more relevant outcome measures.Arthritis Research U

Medical Student Professionalism Narratives: A Thematic Analysis and Interdisciplinary Comparative Investigation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Professionalism development is influenced by the informal and hidden curriculum. The primary objective of this study was to better understand this experiential learning in the setting of the Emergency Department (ED). Secondarily, the study aimed to explore differences in the informal curriculum between Emergency Medicine (EM) and Internal Medicine (IM) clerkships.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A thematic analysis was conducted on 377 professionalism narratives from medical students completing a required EM clerkship from July 2008 through May 2010. The narratives were analyzed using established thematic categories from prior research as well as basic descriptive characteristics. Chi-square analysis was used to compare the frequency of thematic categories to prior research in IM. Finally, emerging themes not fully appreciated in the established thematic categories were created using grounded theory.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Observations involving interactions between attending physician and patient were most abundant. The narratives were coded as positive 198 times, negative 128 times, and hybrid 37 times. The two most abundant narrative themes involved <it>manifesting respect </it>(36.9%) and <it>spending time </it>(23.7%). Both of these themes were statistically more likely to be noted by students on EM clerkships compared to IM clerkships. Finally, one new theme regarding <it>cynicism </it>emerged during analysis.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This analysis describes an informal curriculum that is diverse in themes. Student narratives suggest their clinical experiences to be influential on professionalism development. Medical students focus on different aspects of professionalism depending on clerkship specialty.</p

A report from the Second International Forum for Primary Care Research on Low Back Pain. Reexamining priorities

Study Design. Consensus process. Objectives. Reexamining and redirecting the research agenda for low back pain in primary care. Summary of Background Data. Most research, publications, and funding have traditionally been directed toward specialty and biologically oriented investigations of 'spinal disorders' from biomedical and biomechanical perspectives. Beginning in the mid-1980s, primary care researchers began to investigate this field in earnest, focusing on lower back pain as a pain syndrome within an individual, family, and community context. Unfortunately, more progress has been made on what should not be done in diagnosing and treating lower back pain than on what should be done. Methods. This was a modified group process designed to reach consensus among an international group of primary care lower back pain researchers. Results. Nearly all of the research priorities from the initial 1995 forum are still thought to be important, although only modest progress has been made on most of them. The priorities perceived to be the most feasible to investigate and the ones in which the greatest strides have been achieved are in methodologic rather than substantive areas. Identifying subgroups of people with lower back pain is still given top ranking in 1997, but the priorities have changed dramatically. Greater emphasis is given to finding predictors and risk factors for lower back pain chronicity, improving self-care strategies, and stimulating self-reliance. New items now make up 50% of the top 10 priorities. In general, the additions reflect a greater emphasis on expanding methodologic avenues of inquiry. Conclusions. Methodologic advances, the enlistment of new techniques and disciplines, and redirected research efforts may facilitate progress in the diagnosis and treatment of lower back pain

Are we making progress?: the tenth international forum for primary care research on low back pain

STUDY DESIGN: Synthesis and analysis of presentation and discussion highlights, with a focus on emerging trends and promising new directions in primary care research on low back pain (LBP). OBJECTIVE: To present a summary of findings, themes, and insights from the Tenth International Forum on Primary Care Research on Low Back Pain, a meeting of researchers designed to share the latest concepts, methods, and results of research on LBP diagnosis, treatment, and disability prevention. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Earlier Forum meetings have developed several common themes and general conclusions. These are contrasted with the presentations and discussions at the 10th International Forum. RESULTS: Major themes included concerns about the epidemic of chronic, disabling LBP, associated treatments, iatrogenesis, and the LBP medical industrial complex ; the variability and complexity of outcomes and how their importance differed across patients in defining recovery and recurrence; the power of nonspecific effects, expectations, and therapeutic alliance; and the challenges of identifying important therapeutic subgroups. New research addressed early risk factor screening and linked intervention, nonmedical approaches to reframe the LBP problem and avoid unnecessary care, cognitive and behavioral aspects of LBP, and ways to train clinicians to implement these innovations. More appropriate use of longitudinal designs and a greater focus on implementation research was called for. CONCLUSION: Although the field of primary care LBP research often seems to progress slowly, the Forum highlighted several important, promising developments that could substantially improve LBP research and primary care practice

Building a Culture of Resident Well-Being: Creating Self-Reflection, Community, & Positive Identity in Family Practice Residency Education.

A call for reform has occurred across medical disciplines to counteract the isolation and overemphasis on cognitive competency that characterizes residency education. This article describes an experiment in creating an alternative residency culture-one that encourages selfreflection, a sense of belonging, and positive identity-to support the resident in becoming a healer. Extensive qualitative methodology from multiple data sources was used to evaluate this program. We found that the experiment has been successful in creating a sense of community within residents and between residents and their classmates. Positive identity and self-reflection have also been enhanced. Obtaining full acceptance from all faculty and staff, and allowing multiple community members to help create and modify the culture building tools, has been critical. We conclude that culturebuilding tools can enhance the development of the resident as healer by reducing isolation, encouraging self-reflection, and enhancing positive identity