360-degree Evaluation Method in Clinical Evaluation of Residents: a Pilot Study on Feasibility, Validity and Reliability

The 360-degree evaluation method is used to assess residents, performance by means other than attends’ opinions. Resident evaluation instruments such as questionnaires for 360-degree assessment should be feasible, reliable and valid. The aim of this study was to examine the feasibility and psychometric properties of the 360-degree assessment questionnaires. At first questionnaires were developed based on an extensive literature review and expert panel. Six-item questionnaires were distributed to a consecutive sample of residents (self & peers), medical students, nurses, and patients. Mean scores of respondents in each category were calculated. Cronbach’s alpha was computed to examine the internal consistency. Factor analysis was used to clarify the factorial structure of the data. Spearman correlation coefficient was computed to examine the correlation between the evaluators, scores. Except for faculty members and to some extent patients, all evaluators completed the questionnaires. The cronbach’s alpha for all of the five instruments were above 0.95. Content validity was acceptable according to the literature reviews and expert panel. Factor analysis revealed all six items loaded on a single factor. A majority (80%) of correlation coefficients were not significant for evaluators, scores. Based on this pilot study, 360-degree assessment tools are feasible, reliable, and valid measures to evaluate core competencies of residents.