Improving formative feedback in the context of differential attainment

Background IMG and UK BME doctors are on average disadvantaged in their career progression with respect to their UK White counterparts (Workforce Report 2020). This phenomenon is called differential attainment (DA) where there is variation between different demographic groups. One of the possible driving factors of DA is a lack of feedback, which is an important area to further explore.

Methods As part of the Fair Training Cultures programme of work at the General Medical Council, we conducted a qualitative study to further understand the day-to-day feedback experiences of doctors in training from different demographic groups. We ran three focus groups in January and February 2023. In total, 17 doctors in training attended the focus groups: five IMGs, six UK BME and six UK White. Each focus group had a variety of specialities, training grades and deaneries. The focus group transcripts were analysed using a thematic framework analysis method. We discussed the outcomes of our analysis with internal and external stakeholder roundtables in May 2023.

Outcomes Through our analysis and roundtable discussions, we have identified priority areas to improve feedback experiences for IMG and UK BME learners. This includes raising awareness of DA amongst the healthcare workforce, increased focus on cross-cultural communication in feedback training, role-playing and scenario-based discussions and allocated protected time for feedback.

Learning points Our research has allowed us to gain a deeper understanding on the differences in feedback experiences and in particular makes the case for targeted interventions to improve formative feedback in the context of DA.