Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

National Pilot Program

Since February of 1999, when the PM&R Mini-CEX 
(Clinical Evaluation Exercise) program was initiated, approximately 20 residency training programs have expressed an interest in using this ratings format as part of their overall educational efforts.

Participants:
As we continue the process of developing the Mini-CEX, the following six programs have agreed to participate in a national pilot study:

University of Kentucky: Susan M. McDowell, M.D.
University of Pennsylvania: Keith Robinson, M.D.
Medical College of Wisconsin: Irma Fiedler, Ph.D.
Loyola of Chicago, Jay Subbaro, M.D.
SUNY/Stony Brook, Craig Rosenberg, M.D.
SUNY/Buffalo, Gary Clark, M.D.

We are still very interested in having another four to six program participate, and would welcome your inquiries.

Funding:
At present, the development of the tool and all associated costs are being funded by the Department of PM&R at the University of Kentucky via existing research funds. As the program continues to grow, we are hopeful of obtaining external funding to underwrite the costs of the project.

Data Collection:
At present, data is collected the old-fashioned way, i.e., by marking the actual form. We are exploring alternative methods of data collection. For example, a pocket-sized format containing scannable "bubble sheets" that can be completed quickly and easily by attending physicians is under consideration. This format would contain two copies of the form, one of which would be retained by the program and the other sent to the University of Kentucky for processing. Another suggestion is a web-based data collection process, but there are concerns about the confidentiality of this method. Suggestions are welcome.

Once data has been collected, each program will decide how best to provide feedback to individual residents; it is strongly recommended that the results of ratings be shared with residents formatively (see "Implementation Guidelines" section of this web site). All data collected with also be sent to the University of Kentucky for entry and analysis.

Collaboration:
Initial discussions with the Association for Academic Physiatry and the American Board of PM&R will be held in the very near future. Collectively, the Principal Investigators and the programs participating in the pilot study would welcome input and direction from these organizations.