Perceptions of family medicine residents regarding peer-to-peer feedback during the learning of clinical examination skills

Background
Peer-to-peer feedback is crucial in the development of clinical abilities. However, owing to the differences in cultural backdrop, peer-to-peer feedback can be difficult to embrace and follow in a positive manner in Saudi Arabia.

Objectives
The purpose of this study is to analyze family residents’ perceptions of peer-to-peer feedback on clinical examination skills.

Material and methods
This descriptive cross-sectional quantitative and qualitative study was done in 2023 at the Ministry of Health’s Postgraduate Academy of Family Medicine in Alhasa, Saudi Arabia. 83 family medicine residents were invited, and 66 consented to participate. Residents’ perceptions were analyzed using a well-established and validated questionnaire.

Results
The results indicate that most of the residents expressed a positive attitude toward peer-to-peer feedback as a valuable learning activity for skill improvement and addressing deficiencies. Nevertheless, some concerns were raised, including feelings of embarrassment, potential bias, personal judgments, a lack of medical knowledge among peers, and varying experiences with feedback delivery. In response to these concerns, residents suggested several improvements for peer feedback, such as conducting regular, supervised, and anonymous feedback sessions and organizing preplanned sessions on specific subjects before the feedback sessions.

Conclusions
This study highlights the positive reception of peer feedback among family medicine (FM) residents, emphasizing its role in professional development and addressing weaknesses. Our findings reveal areas for improvement in FM residency programs, including creating a supportive feedback environment and enhancing feed-back quality through training and valid instruments.