Authors: Helen Jossberger and Miriama Schlachtová
University of Regensburg, Germany

Edition: Volume 63, Number 3, November 2023

Introduction: The present study aimed to explore the role of feedback in the medical workplace in the domain of radiology. Feedback is considered essential for learning, performance, and professional development, as it helps to build knowledge and skills, to correct errors, and to provide safe and autonomous patient care. Fifteen specialists were interviewed about what role feedback played in their own professional development. Moreover, we enquired about how they interact with residents and how they provide feedback in their daily work. Content analysis was used to categorise participants’ answers. Results show that specialists see feedback as an omnipresent phenomenon at the workplace and perceive it as central to training. Feedback is usually provided face-to-face to reinforce and transfer knowledge, improve domain-specific knowledge, reduce mistakes, improve the outcome for the patient, change behaviour patterns, or increase social skills. Although feedback at the workplace was considered important for professional development, physicians stressed that there is often not enough time to discuss performance and possibilities for performance improvements. Forming tandems between less and more experienced physicians, so that learning becomes more embedded in medical practice and work activities might be a facilitating condition at the workplace.

Keywords: feedback, medical workplace, qualitative research, learning and professional development

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This article is part of AJAL, Volume 63:3. The entire volume is available in .pdf for purchase here.