We identified four main themes: (1) Identity and hierarchy; (2) Interdependence of feedback source and feedback content; (3) Impact of inter-professional feedback on collaboration and patient-care; (4) Logistical and organizational requirements for implementing inter-professional feedback on an institutional level.
(1) Identity and hierarchy: Multidimensionality of social identity, inter- and intra-professional hierarchies
Residents participating in the study maintained a positive attitude towards feedback from allied health care professionals (AHPs). Even though there was a clear awareness of existing inter-professional hierarchies, residents’ professional identity as “physicians” did not impede their receptiveness to feedback from “non-physicians”. However, receiving and delivering inter-professional feedback was perceived as unusual and new:
R5 (resident): Before performing an inter-professional workplace-based assessment, I was really wondering what this would feel like, to receive feedback from someone who is not a physician. Because, you know, there are some kinds of hierarchies in the hospital. And usually, it is us, the physicians, who tell them [the AHPs] how to work with the patients, and they ask us for our advice, even though, in fact, we are not their supervisors, of course.
AHP6: Yes, it is very unusual for us to give feedback to a physician. I have never done this before. There have been hierarchies in the hospital for decades, you know, and we all feel these hierarchies, even though we have good relationships with the physicians.
Despite the apparent presence of this inter-professional hierarchy, it did not have a negative effect on residents’ perception of feedback from AHPs. On the contrary, the inter-professional feedback actually allowed an exchange and refection on observed performance with a focus on promoting learning.
R5: It [the feedback] was totally on a level playing field, it was not strange and I did not feel criticized in any way. It was very constructive feedback. I was astonished about this; I thought it would be different.
While interacting with the supervising physicians, the shared professional identity as physicians became less important and the identities of “trainee” and “supervisor” became more accentuated. These identities and associated intra-professional hierarchies led to the perception of a more summative nature of the workplace-based assessment, a fact that rather impeded receptiveness to feedback.
R5: I caught myself selecting the supervising physicians. I chose those with whom I feel I have a good relationship. I told myself ‘let’s not expose yourself too much in this situation’, you know, so I consciously selected my medical supervisors. My performance could play a role in my annual evaluation, even though it should not in the context of this project, but you cannot exclude it completely.
Supervising physicians also believed that the intended formative assessment might have felt more summative to the residents due to the perception of intra-professional hierarchies, making the residents choose “easy tasks” in order to perform well.
S7 (supervising physician): I really do think that hierarchies played a role. I observed that residents chose tasks that were very easy for them, and I was wondering why this happened. Did they perceive this as a “school test situation”, where they will be judged?
When the supervising physicians, together with an AHP, gave structured feedback to a resident about a directly observed performance, they became more aware of their identity as teachers.
S4: In these inter-professional workplace-based assessments, I did learn a lot about our residents, but I also learned a lot about myself, about how I am doing as a teacher.
(2) Interdependence of feedback source and feedback content: The role of the perceived trustworthiness of the feedback source and the task on which feedback is given
While maintaining a positive attitude towards inter-professional feedback in general, not all feedback would have been perceived as trustworthy from the outset. Perceived trustworthiness of the feedback source, combined with the task on which the feedback was provided, played a crucial role in the residents’ receptiveness to inter-professional feedback.
R2: If, for example, the nutrition specialist would have advised me on how to diagnose a hypercortisolism, I would have thought.. well, okay…But I think this is really related to the topics and tasks on which they give you the feedback. I think this plays the major role, and that’s why it was so appropriate, helpful and congruent for me when I received their [the AHPs’] feedback.
Residents showed a greater openness to learning from other professionals if they perceived them to be competent in their domain and trustworthy. The focus of the feedback differed between supervising physicians and AHPs, reflecting what each group considered as important in their own profession. All residents agreed that feedback on communication skills is a specific competency of AHPs, and they showed high receptiveness to such inter-professional feedback.
R1: I had this patient with type 1 diabetes. He had heard our advice at least a hundred times and still hadn’t achieved good glycemic control. After the assessment, the psychologist discussed different strategies for how to communicate with this patient. I found this feedback very helpful.
A perceived strength of AHPs’ feedback was that it complemented the physicians’ feedback. Physicians and AHPs agreed that diabetology is inherently inter-professional in nature, and saw overlapping as well as complementary competencies as resources in inter-professional feedback.
AHP2: I [AHP] was more focused on the consulting aspect, and she [supervising physician] added the medical input, it was very complementary and a pleasant cooperation.
S5: When it was about how to instruct a patient about hypoglycemia, the inputs of the diabetes nurse were extremely helpful. We are not used to explaining this to a patient in such a structured and clear manner. I realized that the resident was very satisfied with this feedback from an AHP.
(3) The impact of inter-professional feedback
Two subthemes emerged from this main theme: the impact of interprofessional feedback on (A) collaboration and (B) patient care.
(A) The impact of inter-professional feedback on collaboration
Many of the study participants noted an impact on inter-professional collaboration. For example, AHPs explained that being present at a physician’s consultation helped them to better understand the work of the residents.
AHP2: It was interesting to see how physicians work in their consultations, and to realize all the challenges they are facing, working with demanding patients, with translators and so on, and working with very limited time resources.
This inter-professional feedback not only fostered awareness of other team members but also actually had a positive impact on communication and collaboration between the different professions.
AHP2: In the past, I always used to hesitate… the physicians are so busy, and I thought I should not to bother them, or I was wondering when would be the best time to ask them a question. And now, I just drop in and ask: Do you have a minute? …I also experienced some situations in which the residents actively contacted me about a patient and asked me if I could just drop by. So in my view, there is a lot more exchange and communication now between the professions.
The inter-professional workplace-based assessments also promoted new inter-professional education sessions. Ideas for new contents within inter-professional education sessions arose during workplace-based assessments and were later implemented, such as a teaching session on functional intensified insulin therapy together with nutrition specialists and physicians.
(B) The impact of inter-professional feedback on patient care
Study participants felt that the inter-professional feedback was beneficial with regard to patient care. AHPs described that being present at a resident’s consultation allowed them to complement their own consultations with the same patient later on, consolidating topics that had previously arisen in the physician’s consultation and expanding on them based on their own specialty.
AHP7: I was lucky to be part of an inter-professional assessment and then, afterwards, to have the same patient in my consultation. This was very helpful, I could tie in with existing knowledge and experiences.
Moreover, after only four months of conducting inter-professional workplace-based assessments, the effect of the improved collaboration was even noticeable for patients. Several study participants received positive feedback from patients regarding the inter-professional collaboration within the team.
AHP6: Finally, patients feel that we are working together as a team. Just this morning, I met a patient who told me “You have an excellent collaboration here among physicians and nutrition specialists!” Moreover, I think he felt much safer, knowing that we are all moving in the same direction. Therefore, I really believe that not only we, but all the patients, benefit from this improved inter-professional collaboration.
(4) Logistical and organizational requirements for implementing inter-professional feedback on an institutional level
While perceiving inter-professional feedback as helpful and as promoting inter-professional collaboration, the study participants also mentioned the high degree of organizational effort required to enable the parallel observation of a resident’s consultation by a supervising physician and an AHP. All study participants expressed the need for institutional support for inter-professional workplace-based assessments.
When organizing inter-professional feedback, it is also important to consider the needs of all of the participants. In this project, AHPs felt that the organization was too focused on the residents’ agenda.
AHP6: I had the impression that the organization was too oriented to the physician’s needs. This made it difficult for the other professions, because we are organized in a very different way.
Given the organizational effort necessary for conducting inter-professional workplace-based assessments, institutional support in order to integrate inter-professional workplace-based assessments into daily work routine is highly desirable.