The Application Of Portfolio In Rural Doctor Training And Evaluation

ObjectiveRural doctors'training should focus on the overall quality cultivation dued to the transformation of medical model; while the characteristic that rural doctors need to be on duty, they could not always be on class together instead of on an amateur class led they improve the competence of self-directed learning, assessed learning processes in order to easily find their deficiency. Therefore, it is very necessary to establish an effective method to promote students self-directed learning and enhance students comprehensive competence in doctors training. Portfolio can solve this problem well, because portfolio emphasizes reflective learning which could develop self-directed learning and emphasizes process evaluation/formative evaluation, which can enhance students comprehensive abilities. In this study, We aimed to promote rural doctors' comprehensive abilities especially "learning in doing" and reflection. Furthermore, to study rural doctors'acceptance of the portfolio, analyse influence factors on the implementation of portfolio for the better use in future.Materials and Methodswe designed and applied a learning and assessment portfolio to 321 trainees in rural doctor training program of China Medical University in 2009 on a evidence-based basis. Under supervision,321 rural doctors finished their individual portfolios documenting their learning, practice, reflection, achievements, and others evidences during 2009 academic year. Related information was extracted from these reports by the self-designed structured investigation form. Statistic analysis were made by SPSS 13.0 and t test was done to compare the levels of competences of rural doctors between pre-portfolio and post-portfolio ones. It was considered that the difference had statistical significance when P was less than 0.05 in this study.ResultsWe got 305 filled forms from a survey to the 321 rural doctors and found that more than 95% of the rural doctors approval to use portfolio that can stimulate interest in learning and gives a sense of accomplishment, and is willing to continue to apply in the future; rural doctors widely recognized (80%) that portfolio construction and application effectively promote reflection, prompted them to understand the practical problems in clinical and expand knowledge; nearly 95% of rural doctors believe that the creation and initial implementation of the portfolio has played a recording of their learning process, evaluation of learning processes, and promoted their self-directed learning, reflective learning ability; there are nearly 70% rural doctors believe that portfolio can facilitate interpersonal communication and thus facilitate learning. To analyse the comprehensive ability of rural doctors questionnaire,we found that, after the use of portfolio, the majority of items of medical care competence and practice-based learning and improvement change statistical significantly (P<0.05), while in other aspects, in particular system-based practice, the change is of no statistical significance.ConclusionsOur study shows that portfolio which has been constructed by this subject meet the characteristics of adult education, and portfolio which has been widely accepted on abroad is suitable for the culture of rural doctors in China. It could promote trainees' learning and assess their achievements successfully, the comprehensive capacity of rural doctors, especially medical care, medical knowledge and interpersonal communication skills has improved。Most rural doctors were on the high level of acceptance of portfolio as tools of "learning in dong" and "assessing in doing" and thought that this process could promote their reflective, interpersonal communication and critical thinking skills effectively. Rural doctors presented appropriate advices on the portfolio improvement for better use.