Abstract Manager

Oral

OG2-3-1

Accept

I declare I have no actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to this program.

yes

General Call (Workshop, Oral Presentation, Poster Presentation)

Oral

Education Research

Other

Faculty

yes

Learner Handover - Who is it really for?

Learner handover, is the sharing of information about learners between faculty supervisors. Learner handover can support longitudinal assessment in rotation-based systems, but concerns have been raised regarding the potential for it to bias future assessments or to stigmatize struggling learners. Because successful implementation relies on a better understanding of existing practices and beliefs, the purpose of this study was to explore how faculty perceive and enact learner handover in the workplace.

Using constructivist grounded theory, 23 semi-structured interviews were conducted with faculty from two universities. Participants were asked to describe their learner handover practices, including learner handover that was delivered or received about resident and student trainees either within or between clinical rotations. We probed to understand why it was used by faculty, and its perceived benefits and risks.

Learner handover occurs both formally and informally and serves multiple purposes for learners and faculty. While participants reported that learner handover was motivated by both learner benefit and patient safety, they primarily described motivations focused on their own needs. Learner handover was used to improve faculty efficiency by focusing teaching and feedback, and it was perceived as a "self-defence mechanism" when faculty were uncertain about a learner's competence and trustworthiness. Informal learner handover also served social or therapeutic purposes when faculty used it to gossip, vent, or manage insecurities about their assessment of learner performance. Because of its multiple, sometimes unsanctioned purposes, participants advised being reflective about the motivation behind learner handover conversations.

Learners are not the only potential beneficiaries of learner handover; faculty use learner handover to lessen insecurities surrounding entrustment and assessment of learners and to openly share their frustrations. The latter created tensions for faculty needing to share stresses, but wanting to act professionally. Formal education policies regarding learner handover should consider faculty perspectives.

learner handover

assessment

entrustment

General

Assessment

Assessment

Postgraduate

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes