How do medical schools influence their students’ career choices? A realist evaluation (2024)
Journal Article
Thomas, A., Kinston, R., Yardley, S., McKinley, R. K., & Lefroy, J. (2024). How do medical schools influence their students’ career choices? A realist evaluation. Medical Education Online, 29(1), https://doi.org/10.1080/10872981.2024.2320459

Introduction
The career choices of medical graduates vary widely between medical schools in the UK and elsewhere and are generally not well matched with societal needs. Research has found that experiences in medical school including formal, informal... Read More about How do medical schools influence their students’ career choices? A realist evaluation.

Training healthcare professionals to be ready for practice in an era of social distancing: A realist evaluation (2023)
Journal Article
Lefroy, J., Bialan, J., Moult, A., Hay, F., Stapleton, C., Thompson, J., …Cope, N. (2023). Training healthcare professionals to be ready for practice in an era of social distancing: A realist evaluation. Advances in Health Sciences Education, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-023-10297-w

Background
Programme changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted variably on preparation for practice of healthcare professional students. Explanations for such variability need exploration. The aim of our study was to understand what clinica... Read More about Training healthcare professionals to be ready for practice in an era of social distancing: A realist evaluation.

Feasibility study of student telehealth interviews (2022)
Journal Article
Zaccariah, Z. R., Irvine, A. W., & Lefroy, J. E. (2022). Feasibility study of student telehealth interviews. Clinical Teacher, 19(4), 308-315. https://doi.org/10.1111/tct.13490

Background
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to medical students being taught remote clinical communication modalities (telephone and video). Junior students have not generally been included in this and have had less patient contact than previously. Thi... Read More about Feasibility study of student telehealth interviews.

Can learning from workplace feedback be enhanced by reflective writing? A realist evaluation in UK undergraduate medical education (2021)
Journal Article
Lefroy, J., & Molyneux, A. (2021). Can learning from workplace feedback be enhanced by reflective writing? A realist evaluation in UK undergraduate medical education. Education for Primary Care, https://doi.org/10.1080/14739879.2021.1920472

Introduction Doctors and medical students in the UK are currently required to provide evidence of learning by reflective writing on (among other things) feedback from colleagues. Although the theoretical value of reflecting-on-action is clear, resear... Read More about Can learning from workplace feedback be enhanced by reflective writing? A realist evaluation in UK undergraduate medical education.

Understanding and developing procedures for video-based assessment in medical education (2020)
Journal Article
Yeates, P., Moult, A., Lefroy, J., Walsh-House, J., Clews, L., McKinley, R., & Fuller, R. (2020). Understanding and developing procedures for video-based assessment in medical education. Medical Teacher, 42(11), https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2020.1801997

Introduction
Novel uses of video aim to enhance assessment in health-professionals education. Whilst these uses presume equivalence between video and live scoring, some research suggests that poorly understood variations could challenge validity. We... Read More about Understanding and developing procedures for video-based assessment in medical education.

Comparing the influence of ‘describing findings to the examiner’ or ‘examining as in usual practice’ on the students’ performance and assessors’ judgements during physical examination skills assessment (2020)
Journal Article
Stephenson, C., Yeates, P., & Lefroy, J. (2020). Comparing the influence of ‘describing findings to the examiner’ or ‘examining as in usual practice’ on the students’ performance and assessors’ judgements during physical examination skills assessment. MedEdPublish, 9(18), https://doi.org/10.15694/mep.2020.000018.1

Background:

Within assessment of physical examination skills, two approaches are common: “Describing Findings” (students comment throughout); and examining as “Usual Practice” (students only report findings at the end). Despite numerous potential... Read More about Comparing the influence of ‘describing findings to the examiner’ or ‘examining as in usual practice’ on the students’ performance and assessors’ judgements during physical examination skills assessment.

Using realist evaluation to explain preparedness for doctors’ memorable 'firsts' (2017)
Journal Article
Lefroy. (2017). Using realist evaluation to explain preparedness for doctors’ memorable 'firsts'. Medical Education, 1037-1048. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.13370

CONTEXT: Doctors must be competent from their first day of practice if patients are to be safe. Medical students and new doctors are acutely aware of this, but describe being variably prepared.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify causal chai... Read More about Using realist evaluation to explain preparedness for doctors’ memorable 'firsts'.

Qualitative research using realist evaluation to explain preparedness for doctors' memorable 'firsts' (2017)
Journal Article
Lefroy, J., Yardley, S., Kinston, R., Gay, S., McBain, S., & McKinley, R. (2017). Qualitative research using realist evaluation to explain preparedness for doctors' memorable 'firsts'. Medical Education, 1037-1048. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.13370

CONTEXT: Doctors must be competent from their first day of practice if patients are to be safe. Medical students and new doctors are acutely aware of this, but describe being variably prepared.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify causal chai... Read More about Qualitative research using realist evaluation to explain preparedness for doctors' memorable 'firsts'.

Does formal workplace based assessment add value to informal feedback? (2017)
Journal Article
Lefroy, J., Hawarden, A., Gay, S., & McKinley, R. (2017). Does formal workplace based assessment add value to informal feedback?. MedEdPublish, 27-27. https://doi.org/10.15694/mep.2017.000027

Feedback is a key component of learning but effective feedback is a complex process with many aspects. One aspect may be a written summary which is passed to the learner but this may not be valued by learners. We examined the role of written feedback... Read More about Does formal workplace based assessment add value to informal feedback?.

Grades in formative workplace-based assessment: a study of what works for whom and why (2015)
Journal Article
Lefroy, J., Hawarden, A., Gay, S. P., McKinley, R. K., & Cleland, J. (2015). Grades in formative workplace-based assessment: a study of what works for whom and why. Medical Education, 307-320. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.12659

CONTEXT: Grades are commonly used in formative workplace-based assessment (WBA) in medical education and training, but may draw attention away from feedback about the task. A dilemma arises because the self-regulatory focus of a trainee must include... Read More about Grades in formative workplace-based assessment: a study of what works for whom and why.

Development and face validation of an instrument to assess and improve clinical consultation skills (2014)
Journal Article
Lefroy. (2014). Development and face validation of an instrument to assess and improve clinical consultation skills. Advances in health sciences education : theory and practice, 661-685. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-014-9493-9

While formative workplace based assessment can improve learners’ skills, it often does not because the procedures used do not facilitate feedback which is sufficiently specific to scaffold improvement. Provision of pre-formulated strategies to addres... Read More about Development and face validation of an instrument to assess and improve clinical consultation skills.

Development and face validation of an instrument to assess and improve clinical consultation skills (2011)
Journal Article
Lefroy, Gay, S., Gibson, S., Williams, S., & McKinley, R. K. (2011). Development and face validation of an instrument to assess and improve clinical consultation skills

Context: Development of medical students’ consultation skills with patients is at the core of the UK General Medical Council’s 'Tomorrow’s Doctors' guide (2009). Teaching and assessment of these skills must therefore be a core component of the medica... Read More about Development and face validation of an instrument to assess and improve clinical consultation skills.