Using Mock On-Call Patient Encounters to Assess Ophthalmology Resident Peer Communication and Clinical Readiness: A Pilot Study

Introduction Communication between co-residents is a crucial component of success among ophthalmology resident physicians who are part of the same on-call team. However, opportunities to assess and hone communication skills during residency training are limited. We developed a novel pilot workshop to improve and assess communication and collaboration between ophthalmology trainees. Methods Two standardized patient scenarios were developed in which residents collaborated in a mock on-call team. Encounters took place in a simulated clinic space. Team members consisted of a PGY-2 resident, PGY-3 resident, and a faculty evaluator. A critical action checklist was used to assess learners during the encounters. Peer and faculty evaluation forms were completed following each encounter. A structured debriefing session was conducted to facilitate guided reflection and teach about various communication methods and pitfalls. Post-workshop questionnaires were distributed to learners to assess the short- and long-term effectiveness of the workshop. Results Eight ophthalmology residents and four faculty evaluators participated in the workshop. PGY-2 residents felt that the workshop improved their patient care skills (mean rating of 4.7 on a 5-point scale) and their ability to communicate and collaborate with peers while on call (mean ratings of 5.0 and 4.7, respectively). PGY-3 residents reported improvement in their ability to coach and communicate with PGY-2s on call (mean ratings of 4.7 and 4.7, respectively). Evaluators indicated that the workshop was a useful method of evaluating the readiness of PGY-3 residents to independently manage an on-call team. Conclusions This pilot study supports the feasibility of using standardized patient encounters to improve communication and collaboration amongst ophthalmology residents and assess readiness to manage an on-call team.