Clinical effectiveness: a structured teaching approach for junior doctors

Abstract

Purpose

To formulate an effective teaching prog ramme in the principles of clinical effectiveness for junior doctors, with simultaneous participation in a clinical audit project during their six‐month period of employment.

Design/methodology/approach

Accident and Emergency (A&E) Senior House Officers (SHOs) were educated in the principles of clinical effectiveness through a structured five‐session approach whilst they concurrently performed their clinical audit project. Throughout the process the A&E SHOs were supported by the Clinical Effectiveness Unit and the A&E Consultant overseeing departmental audit.

Findings

The structured teaching programme resulted in a good understanding of the clinical effectiveness process amongst the A&E SHOs, as demonstrated by their ability to perform a clinical audit project which ultimately improved practice.

Research limitations/implications

This study has involved the construction and assessment of a teaching framework for junior doctors. The conclusions have been drawn on the basis of objective measures such as the completion of a clinical audit project which successfully improved practice. Thus, the publications of the findings may be considered in the category of a research paper. However, the authors accept that the assessment of a teaching programme's success and its portability to other departments or institutions can be highly subjective.

Practical implications

With appropriate guidance and support, junior doctors are able to perform meaningful clinical effectiveness exercises at an early stage in their careers and within the constraints of short periods of employment. The structured teaching approach could be considered as a template which other institutions may wish to adopt to educate their own juniors.

Originality/value

Despite the increasing importance of clinical audit in modern practice, the authors are not aware of any published teaching programmes which provide junior doctors with the necessary understanding of and skills required to take part in the clinical effectiveness process.

Citation

Bashir, G.M., Henderson, R. and Henderson, K. (2005), "Clinical effectiveness: a structured teaching approach for junior doctors", Clinical Governance: An International Journal, Vol. 10 No. 1, pp. 15-23. https://doi.org/10.1108/14777270510579251