Use of the QR Reader to Provide Real-Time Evaluation of Residents' Skills Following Surgical Procedures.

Background: A portable electronic method of providing instructional feedback and recording an evaluation of resident competency immediately following surgical procedures has not previously been documented in obstetrics and gynecology.

Objective: This report presents a unique electronic format that documents resident competency and encourages verbal communication between faculty and residents immediately following operative procedures.

Methods: The Microsoft Tag system and SurveyMonkey platform were linked by a 2-D QR code using Microsoft QR code generator. Each resident was given a unique code (TAG) embedded onto an ID card. An evaluation form was attached to each resident's file in SurveyMonkey. Postoperatively, supervising faculty scanned the resident's TAG with a smartphone and completed the brief evaluation using the phone's screen. The evaluation was reviewed with the resident and automatically submitted to the resident's educational file.

Results: The evaluation system was quickly accepted by residents and faculty. Of 43 residents and faculty in the study, 38 (88%) responded to a survey 8 weeks after institution of the electronic evaluation system. Thirty (79%) of the 38 indicated it was superior to the previously used handwritten format. The electronic system demonstrated improved utilization compared with paper evaluations, with a mean of 23 electronic evaluations submitted per resident during a 6-month period versus 14 paper assessments per resident during an earlier period of 6 months.

Conclusions: This streamlined portable electronic evaluation is an effective tool for direct, formative feedback for residents, and it creates a longitudinal record of resident progress. Satisfaction with, and use of, this evaluation system was high.