Multi-Source Feedback
The Multi-Source Feedback (MSF) tool provides
a sample of attitudes and opinions of colleagues on the clinical
performance and professional behaviour of the GPStR. It helps
to provide data for reflection on performance and gives useful
feedback for self-evaluation.
How to
use the MSF
How
many? How often?
FAQs
Resources
How to use the MSF
Collecting Feedback
- The GPStR and trainer should agree a date for
the MSF and a date for the GPStR and Educational Supervisor or GP
Trainer or Clinical Supervisor to discuss the feedback
generated by the MSF. It is important that protected time is
set aside for the interview, which will be held after the closing
date for responses.
- The GPStR selects five clinicians with
different job titles when in secondary care and five clinicians,
mainly GPs, when in primary care. When the tool is used in primary
care an additional five non clinicians are selected. All the
respondents need to be people who have observed the GPStR in the
workplace. The GPStR gives all respondents the instruction letter
which explains the process and gives details of how to input, and
the closing date by which their feedback should be given.
The Educational Supervisor or GP trainer (depending on
the arrangements in each deanery) needs to be aware of which
colleagues / staff members the GPStR invited to complete the
MSF.
- Respondents will connect to the internet and
log onto the ePortfolio, giving name and GMC number of the
GPStR. They will use a 7 point grade and enter feedback
comments in two free text boxes. Clinicians will answer both
questions. Non-clinicians answer just the first question.
- The educational supervisor or trainer will
verify with a sample of colleagues / staff members that they did
indeed contribute to the MSF. It is important that when checking
that colleagues or staff have contributed, the
educational supervisor or GP trainer is not made aware of any
details of their entry to the MSF.
Using Feedback
- On the closing date the results will be sent
to the Educational Supervisor. The results will be anonymous.
Results will show the free text comments and the breakdown of
scores. There will also be information on the mean, median and
range of scores.
- The Educational Supervisor will authorise the
results to become available within the GPStR’s ePortfolio and
visible to the GP trainer. The GP Trainer or Educational Supervisor
should try to assimilate the numerical scores and free text
comments within the context of the GPStR’s overall performance to
date.
- The feedback interview should be conducted in
protected time with no interruptions. It will require
excellent skills of giving feedback on the part of the interviewer.
The interviewer should ensure that the GPStR understands the
background to the use and purpose of the MSF tool. Different
individuals may require different lengths of time for
reflection. It may be necessary to schedule the feedback for
more than one occasion in order to make best use of data.
Discussion should centre around the GPStR’s expectations in
relation to their scores.
- The Professional Conversation log in the
Education Section of the ePortfolio may be used to record the
discussion and the action plan arising from it.
Top
How many? How often?
Two cycles must be completed in ST1 (5
clinicians only) and two cycles in ST3 (5 clinicians and 5
non-clinicians).
FAQs
Q. Can the GPStR ask the same
people to complete the MSF on both occasions or must they all be
different? Is this feasible in small practices?
A. Yes, even GPStRs based in
small practices should be able to identify sufficient clinical and
non-clinical colleagues to complete the questionnaire.
Q. What happens if there is a
poor response to the questionnaire?
A. Multi-source feedback is
still possible if not all raters complete the questionnaire but
efforts need to be made to get a good response.
Q. Should the GPStR see the
raw feedback, including the free text, bearing in mind that it
might be quite devastating?
A. The feedback will be sent
first to the educational supervisor to enable them to prepare
feedback based on the results. However, the unedited feedback will
be sent to the GPStR.
Top
Resources
Downloadable resources:
Multi-Source Feedback questionnaire