Effective remediation is essential for maintaining high standards in health professions education and ensuring the competence of future healthcare professionals. In a webinar hosted by Aquifer, Remediation Strategies Using Aquifer  (June 4, 2024), strategies and tools available from Aquifer for remediation were discussed, emphasizing the importance of structured support for struggling learners. This blog post synthesizes the key insights and recommendations from the webinar.

Why Remediation Matters

Helping our struggling learners is not just a matter of academic performance. Dr. Jeannette Guerrasio, author of “Remediation of the Struggling Medical Learner,” emphasizes that our commitment to remediation reflects our dedication to excellence in education and patient care. Here’s why addressing the needs of struggling learners matters:

1. Time Management: Struggling learners require additional time and effort from faculty and clinical teams, including extra teaching, mistake correction, and increased supervision.
2. Team Morale: Ignoring the challenges faced by struggling learners can negatively impact the entire healthcare team’s morale and that of their peers.
3. Program Reputation: The performance of learners directly reflects on the educational program’s reputation, both internally and externally.
4. Addressing Persistent Deficiencies: Without proper intervention, learners’ deficiencies often do not resolve on their own, necessitating effective remediation.
5. Patient Safety and Quality of Care: Inadequately prepared learners can significantly impact patient satisfaction, safety, and overall quality of care.
6. Educational Obligation: As educators, it’s our duty to teach all learners, regardless of their initial performance levels.

Aquifer Resources for Addressing Competency-Specific Difficulties

Aquifer offers a wide range of resources that can be used to address difficulties in each of the core competencies that Dr. Guerrasio suggests addressing. Here’s a brief overview of potential Aquifer resources for each area:

1. Medical Knowledge: Aquifer cases cover a wide variety of content, with Integrated Illness Scripts (IIS) available for reviewing basic sciences related to specific conditions.
2. Patient Care (Clinical Skills): The Aquifer Oral Presentation Skills course helps develop excellent oral presentation skills, while various cases and tools support clinical reasoning and judgment.
3. Interpersonal and Communication Skills: Resources include Social Determinants of Health, Palliative Care, and Trauma-Informed Care cases.
4. Professionalism: Radiology 18 offers a dedicated professionalism case.
5. Practice-Based Learning & Improvement: The Diagnostic Excellence cases provide valuable resources for developing skills in feedback, lifelong learning, and error prevention.
6. Systems-Based Practice: High Value Care cases teach about incorporating evidence-based practice into clinical care and resource stewardship.

Note: A detailed handout with more examples of Aquifer resources for each competency is available to educators for reference.

Strategies for Effective Remediation

When using Aquifer resources for remediation, consider the following strategies:

1. Resource Selection: Use the Aquifer Content Library search tool to find cases and resources that match the learner’s specific needs. Or schedule a meeting with the Adoption and Use Team for support.
2. Avoid Over-Assigning: Focus on a few key cases to avoid overwhelming the student. Up to six cases may be optimum for purposes of remediation.
3. Integrated Approach: Combine different resources to address multiple aspects of a learner’s difficulties across various competencies. Cases from Signature Courses (e.g., Family Medicine) can be combined with Clinical Excellence cases (e.g., Diagnostic Excellence) in a Custom Course.
4. Use Break Points: Assign students to work up to specific sections of a case to target the areas where the student needs the most support.  An example might include the student working through a case and determining a differential diagnosis.
5. Use Support Tools: Take advantage of Aquifer’s Educator resources such as the Case Analysis Tool (CAT).
6. Continuous Assessment: Regularly assess progress across all competencies and adjust the remediation plan as needed.  Deploy Calibrate assessments and encourage students to use PracticeSmart to focus on topics most meaningful to their learning.

Commitment to Excellence

Effective remediation reflects commitment to excellence in medical education and patient care. By integrating Aquifer’s resources into remediation strategies, educators can provide robust support for struggling learners, ensuring they meet necessary competencies and are well-prepared to deliver high-quality care.

For further support and consultation about remediation strategies, consider seeking a peer consultation through Aquifer.