Birmingham Conference, April 2012

The annual conference on health professional education hosted jointly by the West Midlands Workforce Deanery and the Centre for Research in Medical and Dental Education, University of Birmingham took place in April 2012.

Keynote speakers at the Conference were Dr Vicky Osgood and Professor David Sowden. Vicky Osgood is Assistant Director of Postgraduate Education at the General Medical Council with responsibility for approval and quality assurance of the content, standards and outcomes of postgraduate medical education and training in the UK. David Sowden spoke as Director of Medical Education England which provides independent expert advice on education and training and workforce planning for doctors, dentists, healthcare scientists and pharmacists. Their contributions provided conference members with an up-to-date perspective on the changing landscape of postgraduate medical education, the role of the GMC as regulator and, from MEE, an educational and workforce planning perspective.

In format and content, members were able to attend a range of different presentations. The diversity of content meant there were sessions about the education of undergraduates, early career doctors and other health professionals and the continuing professional development of experienced practitioners. Themes included the best way of organising clinics to maximise the learning opportunities of undergraduates, studies designed to improve the reliability of examinations and of ways of selecting trainees for specialist training, the use of ePorfolios for reflective learning and testing alternative models of student feedback.

Birmingham Conference, 19 May 2011

This is an annual Event jointly hosted by CRMDE and West Midlands Workforce Deanery (120 delegates). There were presentations and workshop contributions by members of CRMDE. The organisers were Hywel Thomas, Carole Torgerson, Magdalena Skrybant.

Keynote Presentation by Dr Ian Davison. Assessing medical trainees for the workplace: a researcher’s perspective; How are the right doctors chosen? (PDF, opens new window)

The new training curriculum for general practice. RCGP, London, 14th July.

There were presentations by Dr Julie Bedward, Dr Ian Davison and Professor Hywel

Examining the Evidence, York 22nd September.

A series of symposia to inform medical education policy. Association for the Study of Medical Education

Presentation by Dr Celia Taylor and Professor Hywel Thomas. National Evaluation of Specialty Selection. (PDF, opens new window)

The National Evaluation of Specialty Selection (NESS) covers the selection processes for 71% of 4,060 training posts in England and 2,751 General Practice (GP) posts in the UK available at ST1/CT1 level in 2009, making it the largest evaluation of specialty selection in the world. Designed as a cross-sectional study using quantitative and qualitative methods, the report describes and analyses the effectiveness and suitability of selection processes across 13 specialties. Taking account of the GMC’s requirement that ‘processes for recruitment, selection and appointment must be open, fair and effective’, our principal analytical model examined the acceptability, reliability, validity and cost-effectiveness of the selection processes.

Our analysis of personal characteristics as determinants of selection scores raises concerns about fairness, particularly with respect to candidates trained overseas. Shortlisting scores were generally good predictors of final selection scores. However, internal consistency and pass mark reliability in the majority of selection systems were undesirably low given the high-stakes nature of specialty selection. Consequently, we recommend: having more stations but with a single assessor; more routine data analysis and sharing results between specialties; greater attention to assessor training and the piloting and evaluating of alternative training models; and using rigorous standard setting processes. Recent moves towards integrating selection within each specialty at a national, rather than a Deanery level, and eliminating shortlisting have improved the cost-effectiveness of selection. 

The principal investigator was Professor Hywel Thomas.

Download the National Evaluation of Specialty Selection Final Report (PDF, opens new window)

A summary of the findings has also been published in the British Journal of Hospital Medicine The fairness, effectiveness and acceptability of selection for specialty training in the UK

Contact: Professor Hywel Thomas

The team undertook a systematic review of studies using a randomised controlled trial or quasi-experimental design in order to synthesise the existing evidence to evaluate the effectiveness of continuing professional development (CPD) interventions in dentistry on learning gains, behaviour change or patient outcome. We searched a range of electronic databases from 1986 to the present, and screened all potentially relevant studies for inclusion, using pre-established inclusion/exclusion criteria. Following data extraction and quality appraisal of all included studies a narrative synthesis of the studies was undertaken.

The principal investigators were Professor Carole Torgerson and Dr Vicky Firmstone with the assistance of Karen Elley, Magdalena T. Skrybant, Anne Fry-Smith and Sue Bayliss.

Commissioned by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), this £189k three-year project evaluated the introduction of a new training curriculum for general practice trainees. It examined trainee and trainer experience of the curriculum and its assessment and whether it is ‘fit for purpose’ in preparing trainees for independent practice. The principal investigator was Professor Hywel Thomas.

Contact: Professor Hywel Thomas

Download the Evaluation of the RCGP GP Training Curriculum final Report (June 2011). (PDF, opens new window)

The new RCGP GP Training Curriculum, which came into effect in August 2007, enabled the introduction of new, innovative structures of GP training. In the West Midlands, four month public health posts were introduced as part of the GP Specialty Training Scheme which provided trainees with the opportunity to gain experience in public health.

This research was an evaluation to assess the impact of the posts on trainee learning, identify any problematical issues regarding the organisation of the posts, and further develop them to ensure they meet trainees’ educational needs.

The funder was the West Midlands Deanery/SHA and the project ran from  July 2010 to February 2011. The principal investigator was Ian Davison.

Davison, I., Cooke, S. and Thomas, H. (2011) An evaluation of Public Health placements for General Practice specialty training.

Contact: Ian Davison

The 3 year project, which ended on 31st March 2011, was a collaboration between Durham University and the Universities of Birmingham and London. The project was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council Researcher Development Initiative (Wave 3) which aimed to support the training and development of researchers across the social sciences at all stages of their career. 

The main aims and objectives of this initiative were as follows:

• To build capacity in quantitative methods in social science research and in education research across the UK;
• To develop understanding of the methodology of quantitative synthesis and the meta-analysis of intervention research findings in education; 
• To provide training regionally across the UK in both interpreting and in conducting quantitative synthesis of intervention research in education and the social sciences; 
• To offer three broad levels of training to support researchers at different stages in terms of: 
  - understanding and interpretation of studies using quantitative synthesis or meta-analysis; 
  - training in application of the methods and techniques involved;
  - development of expertise in understanding advanced issues and advanced techniques in the field. 
• To support research students in interpreting meta-analyses to extend and complement their training in reviewing empirical research literature.
• To support the quality of research in education with experts using innovative techniques in other disciplines and from leading experts in education from other countries.

Training was offered regionally across the UK in Belfast, Cardiff, Durham, Edinburgh, London and York primarily through face-to-face training. A legacy of practical resources and workshop materials are available electronically.
See http://www.dur.ac.uk/education/meta-ed/

A pilot feasibility randomised controlled trial of a web-based educational intervention in undergraduate medical education. Ian Davison was the trial co-ordinator of this study in the Medical School which was designed to see if such trials were feasible. Although participation in the trial was a little low, embedding the outcome statements within the end of year exam was a success and useful lessons have been learnt for future trials.

The principal investiator was Sharon Buckley and the named researchers were Jamie Coleman, Ian Davison, David Morely and Carole Torgerson.

Contact: Ian Davison

Funded by NHS West Midlands Workforce Deanery for £47k over one year, the purpose of this study was to develop and test an appraisal system for general dental practitioners in the West Midlands. The study was focussed in the Telford area. A sample of dentists were trained in appraisal, the appraisal implementation process was followed, and the pilot was then evaluated using diaries, document analysis, surveys and interviews. The study also drew on the views of appraisers and those appraised. The principal investigator was Graham Butt and the researcher was Natasha Macnab.

Download the research report (PDF 693KB, opens new window) 

Contact: Natasha Macnab

Funded for £48k by Birmingham & The Black Country Strategic Health Authority this project ran from 2008 - 2011. The study is investigated how well prepared dental graduates were for work in NHS dentistry. This was a longitudinal design focused on West Midlands VT trainees in 2008. The principal investigator was Vicki Firmstone

Funding was provided from the West Midlands Strategic Health Authority (SHA) to deliver a one-year pilot foundation programme for dental therapists. The new pilot foundation programme was led by the dental division of the West Midlands Workforce Deanery and launched in 2009.

The purpose of the pilot was to test out and evaluate the core components of a foundation year, the purpose of which is to develop and expand dental therapists’ clinical and personal skills within an NHS dental practice during their first year after graduation. This research tested out the educational components of the proposed foundation programme.

The Developing Dental Education Course was launched in August 2008. It aims to build the capacity of dental educators by providing experienced and new trainers in dental education with a foundation of knowledge and skills in some of the core areas detailed in the Guidelines for Dental Educators (COPDEND, 2008). It is a four day course, running over a 6 - 8 week period, rather than a one-off, or two-session course. By 2010, nine Developing Dental Educator Courses had been delivered (two of these were specifically for dental care professionals, which is a tailor made two-day course), and more than 150 participants had attended the courses and a further course was scheduled.

To determine the future funding and development of such a programme, however, it is important and timely to critically reflect on its content, format and impact: how is the programme received by its participants and what is its impact on their dental educator role? Do they feel motivated and/or prepared for further study such as a CertMedEd or PGDip MedEd. This evaluation study provided a formative evaluation of this programme, drawing together evidence for example, of attendance rates, immediate feedback from participants, as well as later, more ‘medium-term’, reflections from those who have taken part in the course.

A comprehensive evaluation is central to ensuring this course is ‘fit for purpose’ and that it meets the learning needs of those in a range of dental educator roles.