Current Research and Scholarly Interests
I am interested in graduate medical education -- particularly in understanding how learners learn best and how to optimize graduate medical education given recent work hours changes, increasing handoffs, increasing patient safety standards which have led to increased supervision, and limited longitudinal exposure with faculty.
A few of my studies/areas of interest include:
(1) Coaching Initiative: An innovative approach to provide longitudinal assessment and feedback to residents, and help residents develop skills of lifelong learning and self-reflection. This program pairs a faculty coach with ten residents, who they follow for all three years. We are studying the impact on the amount and quality of feedback given, the residents' communication skills, and impact on faculty through faculty development.
(2) Bedside IPASS Study: Improving Family-Centered Rounds to Improve Patient Safety and Communication: We are one of seven sites in this national study to evaluate the impact of a new FCR rounding structure on patient safety and communication with patients and families.
(3) Shared Decision-Making: We are one of four sites on this NIH R25-funded study of shared decision-making on internal medicine and pediatrics rounds.
(4) Scholarly Concentrations: We are studying the impact of scholarly concentrations on resident learners' scholarship, subsequent scholarly activity, career development.
Prior studies have included:
(1) National Nighttime Curriculum Study: Measured the impact of a national nighttime curriculum on residents' perception of learning, confidence and knowledge in handling routine overnight issues. Prospective study of 89 residency programs, over 2000 learners that found a significant improvement in knowledge, confidence, and attitudes.
(2) IPASS Study (National Handoff Study; we were one of nine pilot sites): Implemented an educational intervention to improve residents' knowledge and use of handoff tools.
(3) Remediation: Created better tools for identifying and helping remediating learners.
(4) Residents as Teachers: Measured the impact of our required senior resident rotation in teaching.