Perceptions of the Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP) in Surgical Training in the UK and Ireland

Perceptions of the Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP) in Surgical Training in the UK and Ireland: A Prospective Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study.

A Prospective Cross Sectional Questionnaire Study was conducted to evaluate surgical trainees' experiences of the ARCP process in order to identify areas for improvement.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Education, Medical
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: ARCP Process

Detailed Description

Background: Surgical trainees in the UK and Ireland undergo rigorous formative and summative assessments throughout each placement and appraisal at an Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP). The ARCP evaluates performance during each training year and determines progression to the next year of training. It is critical that the ARCP is a robust and fair process. The Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT) sought to evaluate surgical trainees' experiences of the ARCP process in order to identify areas for improvement.

Methods: A Prospective Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study was conducted An electronic survey was developed and distributed electronically to the trainee membership of ASiT in the UK and Republic of Ireland. A 57 point survey examined the specifics of one ARCP cycle as well as attitudes to the process in general. Quantitative analysis was performed, along with thematic analysis on the free-text comments.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 600

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • London, United Kingdom
    • Association of Surgeons in Training

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: ADULT; OLDER_ADULT; CHILD
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Surgical Trainees in the UK and Ireland who are members of ASiT

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Must be a trainee member of ASiT
• All grades, Deaneries, including less than full-time/academic trainees are eligible for inclusion

Exclusion Criteria:

• Student members are excluded

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Intervention / Treatment

Surgical Trainees; Trainee membership of the Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT) in the UK and the Republic of Ireland

Other: ARCP Process; One Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP) cycle. In the U.K., doctors, across all specialities, undergo an Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP) to evaluate performance during each training year and determine progression to the next year of training. Similar processes exist in the Republic of Ireland. The process and requirements for ARCP in the UK are specified in the Gold Guide, the Reference Guide for Postgraduate Specialty Training [1]. It defines ARCP as a formal process that uses evidence collected by trainees to review and record performance, demonstrate competencies achieved and inform decisions regarding progression in training

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Experiences of Annual Review of Competence and Progression	Experience of preparation, processes and standards. These will be measured on an anonymous, online survey (Survey monkey) and participants will be asked to rate their experiences of the ARCP using a likert scale. Specific experiences will include preparation for Annual Review of Competence and Progression-timing of decision making and value of the process as an educational tool and contribution of traineers, supervisors and the ARCP panel. Examples of questions are Did you feel your progression was fairly assessed? Possible answers include very fair, fair, neutral, not fair, very unfair	Oct 2017-March 2018

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Face to Face	Trainees attitudes to a face to face Annual Review of Competence and Progression This will be measured on a likert scale similar to that outlined above (Strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, strongly disagree). There will be space for free text comments on the survey and a thematic analysis will be performed according to the steps of Braun and Clarke on the comments	Oct 2017- March 2018

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University College Hospital Galway
• Collaborators: The Association of Surgeons in Training
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Deirdre Nally, MCH, The Association of Surgeons in Training

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (ACTUAL): October 1, 2017
• Primary Completion (ACTUAL): March 31, 2018
• Study Completion (ACTUAL): March 31, 2018

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 20, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 23, 2018
• First Posted (ACTUAL): October 24, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ACTUAL): October 29, 2018
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 25, 2018
• Last Verified: October 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Qualitative; Assessment; Surgical Training; ARCP
• Other Study ID Numbers: ASiT ARCP

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No