Patient complaints in general practice seen through the lens of professionalism: a retrospective observational study.

Background: Professionalism is a key competence for physicians. Patient complaints provide a unique insight into patient expectations regarding professionalism. Research exploring the exact nature of patient complaints in general practice, especially focused on professionalism, is limited.

GP supervisors' experience in supporting self-regulated learning: a balancing act.

Self-regulated learning is essential for professional development and lifelong learning. As self-regulated learning has many inaccuracies, the need to support self-regulated learning has been recommended. Supervisors can provide such support.

Factors influencing trainers' feedback-giving behavior: a cross-sectional survey.

Background: The literature provides some insight into the role of feedback givers, but little information about within-trainer factors influencing 'feedback-giving behaviours'. We looked for relationships between characteristics of feedback givers (self-efficacy, task perception, neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness and conscientiousness) and elements of observation and feedback (frequency, quality of content and consequential impact).

Methods: We developed and tested several hypotheses regarding the characteristics and elements in a cross-sectional digital survey among GP trainers and their trainees in 2011 and 2012.

Quality of written narrative feedback and reflection in a modified mini-clinical evaluation exercise: an observational study.

Background: Research has shown that narrative feedback, (self) reflections and a plan to undertake and evaluate improvements are key factors for effective feedback on clinical performance. We investigated the quantity of narrative comments comprising feedback (by trainers), self-reflections (by trainees) and action plans (by trainer and trainee) entered on a mini-CEX form that was modified for use in general practice training and to encourage trainers and trainees to provide narrative comments. In view of the importance of specificity as an indicator of feedback quality, we additionally examined the specificity of the comments.

How do postgraduate GP trainees regulate their learning and what helps and hinders them? A qualitative study.

Background: Self-regulation is essential for professional development. It involves monitoring of performance, identifying domains for improvement, undertaking learning activities, applying newly learned knowledge and skills and self-assessing performance. Since self-assessment alone is ineffective in identifying weaknesses, learners should seek external feedback too.

The process of feedback in workplace-based assessment: organisation, delivery, continuity.

Objectives: Feedback in workplace-based clinical settings often relies on expert trainers' judgements of directly observed trainee performance. There is ample literature on effective feedback, but in practice trainees in workplace-based training are not regularly observed. We aimed to examine external conditions that impact feedback in observational workplace-based assessment (WBA).

Acquisition of clinical skills in postgraduate training for general practice.

Background: Postgraduate training in general practice aims to develop clinical competence. However, little is known about its effect on trainees' development of clinical skills.

Aim: To assess the acquisition of clinical skills during a 3-year training programme and to evaluate whether a satisfactory level is achieved towards the end of training.

Effect of extension of postgraduate training in general practice on the acquisition of knowledge of trainees.

Background: Postgraduate training in general practice aims to develop clinical competence. However, little is known about its effect on trainees' development of competence.

Objective: Our aim was to investigate whether 3 years of postgraduate training in general practice leads to a higher level of knowledge than 2 years training while maintaining the same structure and educational objectives.