Acceptability and feasibility of an evaluation table to assess the competency of general medicine interns during ambulatory rotations in Brest

TL;DR

This study explores how acceptable and feasible it is for general medicine interns in Brest to use the Exceler evaluation tool to track their competency development during training.

Contribution

This is the first study to evaluate intern opinions on GP internship evaluations using focus groups.

Findings

Participants felt existing evaluations lacked quality and made it hard to track progress.

Exceler was seen as a potential solution due to its validity, flexibility, and accessibility.

Adapting evaluations to individual profiles and backgrounds was suggested as necessary.

Abstract

General practitioner interns need to acquire the expected clinical, communication, personal and professional competencies. Internship evaluations use qualitative evaluation tables to assess competency acquisition. However, there is no standardised evaluation table used in France. Some faculties use the exhaustive, precise, and manageable Exceler evaluation tool. We aim to evaluate opinions of General practice interns in Brest about the acceptability and feasibility of using the Exceler evaluation tool to monitor competency acquisition during internships.

This qualitative study used intern focus groups. Six-open ended questions with optional follow-up questions were asked. Cards from the Dixit® game were used to guide and facilitate discussion. Open, axial, then integrative analysis of the verbatim was performed.

This is the first study to evaluate intern opinions about GP internship evaluations using focus groups. Participants felt that the quality of existing evaluations was insufficient, and it was difficult to monitor their progress. Adapting evaluations to individual profiles and backgrounds seemed necessary. Exceler appeared to be a possible solution due to its content validity, flexibility of use and accessibility. However, there were comments about possible modifications.

Analysing opinions of tutors, supervisors and other practice centers could help identify potential barriers and reveal solutions to facilitate its implementation and use.

Not applicable.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-024-05357-7.

Figures