Direct observation of faculty with feedback: an effective means of improving patient-centered and learner-centered teaching skills.

BACKGROUND In 2002 Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network Internal Medicine residency program sought to establish a faculty development program for their teaching faculty that emphasized learner-centered teaching of patient-centered care. DESCRIPTION Medical educators trained in observational research practices shadowed teaching teams for 24 months and observed 24 General Internal Medicine faculty teach on inpatient rounds and provided timely written feedback to faculty. Within 48 hr, faculty received a completed Observation Feedback Sheet and summary comments. EVALUATION Teaching skills were seen to improve over time after feedback was provided and repeat observations occurred. Observation ratings mirrored the results of the established Department of Medicine resident ranking of faculty teaching: Observed faculty receiving feedback improved their ranking, whereas faculty not observed did not. CONCLUSIONS Observation of teaching with written feedback is an effective means of individualizing faculty development and improving learner-centered and microskill teaching of patient-centered care.