Innovation
A service user feedback questionnaire was devised to develop service user involvement in the assessment of final year podiatry students. The questionnaires comprised of a series of questions relating to student’s clinical proficiency and professionalism and were provided to service users receiving treatment during the final clinical examinations. Service users were asked to score students against certain measures and provide written feedback regarding their strengths and areas for improvement. The completion of questionnaires by service users or their carers was entirely optional and anonymous.
Following the initial use of the tool during the summer 2013 clinical examinations, it was noted that the vast majority of service users / or their carers voluntarily completed the feedback sheet. The feedback sheets were returned to the clinical co-ordinator which meant that service users could openly and anonymously give their opinions. The assessors were then able to view the feedback while constructing their comments on individual student’s clinical performance.
Upon the release of grades, students were invited to receive the feedback sheets completed by each of their exam patients. Although this was optional, all students requested their feedback sheets. Students become proficient in the art of reflective practice during their studies with the completion of clinical logbooks and reflective portfolio writing. The acquisition of direct feedback from their service users has provided an excellent opportunity to stimulate further reflective practice based on the positive and constructive comments of service users in addition to feedback from their tutors and assessors.
What prompted innovation?
Annual service user audits are completed by each division which feed into an annual school of health report for service user and carer involvement. This audit process utilises a scoring approach against set indicators and encourages development and improvement of service user involvement.
The requirements of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) annual monitoring form in regard to standards for education and training (SETs) request the following measure:
“illustrate how your own quality monitoring systems take into account the views of service users”.
The HCPC Standards of Proficiency for Podiatrists additionally list the following requirements:
- 1b.1 “be able to work, where appropriate, in partnership with other professionals, support staff, service users and their relatives and carers.”; “understand the need to engage service users and carers in planning and evaluating diagnostics, treatments and interventions to meet their needs and goals”.
- 1b.3 “recognise that relationships with service users should be based on mutual respect”
- 2c.1 “be able to gather information, including qualitative and quantitative data, that helps to evaluate the responses of service users to their care”
The essential standards set out by the Care Quality Commission are also addressed by this intervention:
“Outcome 1: Respecting and involving people who use services. People should be treated with respect, involved in discussions about their care and treatment and able to influence how the service is run.”
What makes innovation different?
Previously there was no formal opportunity for service users to engage with the assessment of students and offer structured feedback on their perceptions of student performance. It was felt that this opportunity would not only provide useful insight to the assessors but also valuable feedback for students.
Changes in practice
- This innovation has enhanced student confidence by allowing the students to view the opinions of the service users they manage.
- This intervention has served to also encourage student reflective practice, creating an opportunity for students to evaluate upon the comments of service users and consider where, if necessary, improvements in their performance could be made.
- Engaging with service users in this way serves to enhance collaboration and working links with service users and carers.
- Following the initial success of piloting this tool, the intention is to widen its use across other clinical examinations and potentially use in routine clinical settings.
Impact
- The external examiner commented in his annual report that “The involvement of the patients to provide feedback on the values and attitudes of the students is an excellent addition to the assessment process.”
- Students were voluntarily given the opportunity to collect service user feedback following final clinical assessments. All students took this opportunity and the general message expressed was that this innovation had benefitted their learning and in most cases their confidence.
- In conjunction with the Podiatry periodic subject review, service user involvement is an important priority which this innovation continues to strive towards.
Dissemination
- This new intervention relies on assistance from the clinic coordinator who distributes and collates the service user feedback sheets.
- This innovation has been evaluated in the annual service user audit for Podiatry which feeds into the ‘Report of the School of Health – audit of service user and carer involvement in education for health and social care’. The results of this audit are accessible to colleagues from other divisions within the School of Health and members of the service users and carers group at the University of Northampton.
- Students are made aware of the feedback system during teaching sessions leading to their clinical assessments and are given the opportunity to access the service user feedback following the release of examination grades. All final year students grasped the opportunity to receive service user feedback.