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Volume 29 (4)
Volume 29, Issue 4, Fall 2009
J Contin Educ Health Prof 2009; 29(4): 209
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Teaching and Evaluating Point of Care Learning
With an Internet-Based Clinical-Question Portfolio
Michael L. Green, Siddharta G. Reddy, Eric Holmboe
A b s t r a c t
Introduction: Diplomates in the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC)
program satisfy the self-evaluation of medical knowledge requirement by completing open-book multiple-choice
exams. However, this method remains unlikely to affect practice change and often covers content areas not relevant
to diplomates’ practices. We developed and evaluated an Internet-based point of care (POC) learning portfolio
to serve as an alternative.
Methods: Participants enter information about their clinical questions, including characteristics, information pursuit,
application, and practice change. After documenting 20 questions, they reflect upon a summary report and
write commitment-to-change statements about their learning strategies. They can link to help screens and medical
information resources. We report on the beta test evaluation of the module, completed by 23 internists and 4
internal medicine residents.
Results: Participants found the instructions clear and navigated the module without difficulty. The majority preferred
the POC portfolio to multiple-choice examinations, citing greater relevance to their practice, guidance in
expanding their palette of information resources, opportunity to reflect on their learning needs, and “credit” for
self-directed learning related to their patients. Participants entered a total of 543 clinical questions, of which 250
(46%) resulted in a planned practice change. After completing the module, 14 of 27 (52%) participants committed
to at least 1 change in their POC learning strategies.
Discussion: Internists found the portfolio valuable, preferred it to multiple-choice examinations, often changed
their practice after pursuing clinical questions, and productively reflected on their learning strategies. The ABIM will
offer this portfolio as an elective option in MOC
Lessons For Practice
- Evaluation of POC learning with an Internetbased portfolio can be enhanced by (1) facilitating reflection upon the implications of individual learning episodes and upon the learning process itself; and (2) integrating guidance in evidence-based practice.
- Internists found a POC learning portfolio valuable, preferred it to multiple-choice examinations to document self-assessment of knowledge, often changed their practice after pursuing clinical questions, and productively reflected on their learning strategies.
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