PEER OBSERVATION OF FACULTY IN-PATIENT TEACHING
Division of Hospital Medicine
University of New Mexico School of Medicine
V8.2013Feb19
Background:
One of the educational goals of the Division of Hospital Medicine at the University of New Mexico is to
enhance the quality of teaching by hospitalists in the in-patient setting. Previous strategies to accomplish
this have included surveying internal medicine residents regarding various aspects of effective in-patient
teaching, standardizing rounding times, developing expectations of hospitalists regarding resident and
medical student education, and developing a 3-hour seminar focusing on effective in-patient teaching.
One criticism of the previously implemented strategies is that they failed to provide direct observation of
and feed-back to faculty about their teaching. Thus we designed a project that employs direct
observation of in-patient faculty teaching by a hospitalist faculty peer. Published descriptions of similar
programs have used a “best practice” checklist with expert-to-novice observation and feedback about
how the novice can more effectively implement “best practices.” Our model is different in that its primary
focus is on peer observation of each other’s teaching style and technique, followed by a peer-to-peer
discussion of how teaching styles and techniques differ without designating specific techniques as
desirable or “best practice.” We designed a template to record observations of teaching behaviors in
multiple areas including team leadership, presentations, bedside encounters, and professionalism; and
then used this template to facilitate a discussion between the observed and observing hospitalists’
teaching techniques and behaviors and why they might or might not be effective. Our hypothesis is that
this non-evaluative peer-to-peer exchange of ideas will result in adoption of more effective teaching
techniques, “best practices” will emerge and be adopted more frequently, and the quality of teaching by
all hospitalists (novice and experienced) in our group will improve.
Goals:
1. To create an environment that facilitates exchange of ideas with respect for inpatient teaching.
2. To improve faculty members’ teaching effectiveness in the inpatient setting.
3. To improve faculty members’ teaching confidence in the inpatient setting.
4. To improve faculty members’ teaching satisfaction in the inpatient setting.
Directions for the observing peer:
A. Several days before the observation
 Read the background statement and goals. Understand that the exercise is designed not to
evaluate your peer, but to make observations of teaching techniques and behaviors.
 Read the instructions and familiarize yourself with the form.
 Contact the observed faculty schedule a 60 minute period of observation. We suggest that you
not observe case management rounds.
 Briefly review the exercise with the observed faculty and ask them to review this form before the
scheduled observation.
 Recommended days for the observation are the day that the observed faculty’s team is
immediately post day call or pre-night call.
 Schedule with the observed faculty a 20 minute feed-back session (“Review and Reflections”)
either the same day or the day following the observation.
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B. On the observation day
 Print a copy of the team census
 Meet your team promptly at the agreed time.
 Introduce yourself to the team and read the following statement:”My presence today is part of our
Division’s attempt to improve teaching effectiveness, confidence and satisfaction. I will be observing
your team interact on rounds. This is not an evaluation of the team, the attending, the residents or
the medical students. I will not be participate in any way with teaching or patient management, so
please do not direct any questions to me. You may introduce me as an observing physician.”
 If you are asked a question about medical knowledge or clinical carte, you may choose to answer:
“Providing education or advice about patient care is not my role today, but I would be happy to
discuss this with you after rounds."
 Record your observations of teaching behaviors and techniques directly on the form. Use the
headings to help you decide in which box to record your observations, and try to decide if the
observed behavior is similar to or different than the way that you teach. Use the prompts to
remind you of the types of activities that you might observe teaching.
 Record specific examples and quotes, but do not record protected health information.
 Before finishing, be sure to fill out the demographic portion of the observation on this page,
asking the team for any information that you do not already know.
C. The feed-back session (“Review and Reflections”)
 The feedback session should be a conversation involving both faculty members.
 Review your written observations, whether observed behaviors are similar or different than your
own, and seek comments.
 Record in the Review and Reflections section, at least one thing that you learned or behavior that
you plan to adopt. If you did not learn anything and plan to adopt nothing new, write “none.”
 At the completion of the feed-back session, ask the observed faculty to record in the Review and
Reflections section at least one thing that they learned or behavior that they plan to adopt. If you
did not learn anything and plan to adopt nothing new, write “none.”
 Turn in the form to Laura Holder who will separate the demographic portion so that the names of
observing and observed peers will remain anonymous.
Observing faculty to complete this portion before end of observation
PEER OBSERVATION OF FACULTY IN-PATIENT TEACHING – DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
Date: ________ Time of observation (start/finish): ______________Team color: ________ Call cycle__________
Teaching Faculty: ______________ Faculty Peer Observer: ______________
Learners present:  resident  intern  medical student  others: __________________________
Care settings observed:  conference room  bedside  other: _______________Team census: ___________
Total number of patients discussed: _________Number of patients seen at bedside: _______
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PROMPTS
Teaching behaviors similar to mine
Teaching behaviors different than mine
PLANNING/TEAM LEADERSHIP
Triaging pts to
present on rounds
Handling
interruptions
Assigning work
Teaching role
responsibilities
PRESENTATIONS
Teaching organization
of the presentation,
medical knowledge,
or clinical reasoning
Directing teaching to
various learners
BEDSIDE ENCOUNTERS
Teaching physical
examination skills
Teaching
communication
Teaching privacy
PROFESSIONALISM
Teaching respect for
learners, patients,
staff, or peers
Teaching professional
responsibility
Teaching teamwork
OTHER
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REVIEW and REFLECTIONS
Date: ________________ Duration (mins):_______
For the Observed Peer
List one or more things that you learned or plan to adopt:
For the Observing Peer
List one or more things that you learned or plan to adopt:
Notes/comments
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