Publications and Scholarship

Column Editors:  Craig Campbell, MD and Joseph Szot, MD

Here is a specially-curated selection of peer-reviewed articles on a variety of interesting topics and issues to include: mapping patterns of feedback; communication and well-being; interventions for fostering resilience among medical educators. The list of ten chosen articles also includes scoping reviews on: the impact of CPD on patient outcomes; coping with medical errors; emotions and clinical reasoning in medical education and clinical practice.

1. Emotions and Clinical Reasoning in Medical Education and Clinical Practice: A Scoping Review.  Merkebu J, Y Soh M, Loncharich M, Hawks MK, Costello JA, Shapiro M, Maggio LA, Durning SJ, Zheng B.  Acad Med. 2025 Nov 1;100(11):e80-e90. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000006182. Epub 2025 Aug 13.  PMID: 40802898  
   
   The authors of this paper completed a scoping review to map the existing literature on the influence of emotions on clinic reasoning across medical education and practice. The scoping review used standard methodologies and included articles published between March 11, 2022 and December 1, 2023. Sixty-one studies met inclusion criteria. Negative and anxiety- provoking emotions (fear, anxiety or stress) had an influence on clinical reasoning resulting in a more conservative clinical approach, increasing diagnostic errors, and suboptimal management decisions. Conversely, positive emotions and gut feelings, often cultivated through experience, were found to support effective clinical reasoning and potentially improve patient care by fostering adaptability and diagnostic accuracy.
   
2. Continuing medical education: understanding general practitioners who rarely attend, a cross-sectional questionnaire study among Danish GPs.  Ibsen H, Kjaer NK, Søndergaard J, Švab I, Ahrenfeldt LJ.  BMC Med Educ. 2025 Oct 10;25(1):1400. doi: 10.1186/s12909-025-07958-2.  PMID: 41074128 Free PMC article. 
   
   The authors of this paper sought to explore GPs who infrequently attend formal CPD activities to understand their preferences for CPD formats and their attitudes towards mandatory CME compared to their GP colleagues who regularly attend formal CPD activities. This cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted among all 3,257 GPs in Denmark. The infrequent user group were more positive than the frequent user group regarding reading and fact-based lectures that did not require their direct participation. Infrequent users opposed mandatory systems of CPD but were open to small group learning and in practice formats. This article illustrates the challenges and opportunities for more accessible, smaller-scale courses that supports learner autonomy and diversity. Mandatory CME must be balanced with voluntary options to avoid causing learner demotivation.
   
3. Untangling feedback: Mapping the patterns behind the practice.  Patocka C, Cooke L, Ma IWY, Ellaway RH.  Med Educ. 2025 Nov;59(11):1196-1203. doi: 10.1111/medu.15706. Epub 2025 Apr 7.  PMID: 40194907 Free PMC article.
   
   The authors of this paper used a recently developed pattern system to compare different models of feedback. A comparative case study and framework analysis of 11 feedback models including: augmented sensorimotor feedback, coaching, audit and feedback and multisource feedback was completed to identify which aspects of feedback it addressed, and which were overlooked or excluded. The analysis revealed divergence and convergence in how feedback models mapped onto the pattern system.  Overall, the mapping exercise showed significant variations in how feedback was conceptualized, even within specific subcategories such as “coaching,” “audit and feedback” and “multisource feedback.” These differences have important implications in Continuing Professional Development for advancing research and practice in these areas. Pattern theory and pattern mapping offer a promising framework for exploring and addressing the conceptually contested nature of feedback in medical education and may facilitate the future development of a pattern language of feedback.
   
4. Investigating Learning Effects Through the Implementation of Teledermatology Consultations Among General Practitioners in Germany: Mixed Methods Process Evaluation.  Polanc A, Roesel I, Feil E, Martus P, Joos S, Koch R.  JMIR Med Educ. 2025 Sep 10;11:e65915. doi: 10.2196/65915.  PMID: 40930082 Free PMC article. Clinical Trial.  
   
   The aim of this study was to detect learning effects and gains among GPs through teledermatology consultations (TCs) in daily practice. This mixed methods study embedded in a cluster-randomized controlled trial (TeleDerm), a full survey and semiguided face-to-face interviews among participating GPs. A TC assessment tool (TC-AT) was developed to evaluate the quality of clinical data and images of TCs conducted during the run-in and intervention phases. A total of 487 TC across 33 practices were analyzed. The survey was completed by 70% of participating practices.
   
   A total of 487 TCs of 33 practices were analyzed. Questionnaires from n=46 GPs (practice-level response rate: 69.9%) were included in the quantitative analysis. Survey results should that two-thirds of the GPs rated the TCs as helpful for differential diagnosis and treatment management. Improved self-reported confidence in diagnosing skin diseases due to the timely clinical feedback from dermatologists was reported by more than half of the responding GPs. The interviews revealed the teleconsultations were primarily seen as a learning opportunity by the GPs.
   
   TCs have been shown to be an effective method of education for GPs in terms of “learning on the job” in daily practice. A telemedicine approach can be an effective tool to support continuing medical education in the field of dermatology. Teleconferences may be an option for needs assessment and practice-based continuing medical education in supporting primary care.
   
5. Preparing Medical Students and Physicians to Cope With Their Medical Errors: A Scoping Review.  Harrison J, Yan Ting C, Leech M, Molloy E, Bearman M.  Acad Med. 2025 Oct 1;100(10):1218-1225. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000006120. Epub 2025 Jun 6.  PMID: 40479517  
   
   This article is a scoping review evaluates the current literature concerning preparing medical students and physicians to cope effectively with medical errors and inadvertent harm to patients.  Searches were performed of MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Scopus in January 2025, searching articles published since the databases inception.  The search focused on programs designed to help medical students and/or physicians cope with patient harm or medical errors. Twelve articles met the inclusion criteria.  The study interventions were varied in structure and delivery methods, sharing in rationale and Pedagogical strategies.  The strategies were divided into two groups, what students needed to learn about coping after medical error and ways to support students in learning about this.  These pedagogical strategies  could provide program design ideas for education aimed at increasing the capacity to cope with patient harm and error.
   
6. Association of Communication, Engagement, and Well-Being With Turnover Among Faculty at a Large Academic Health Care and Research System.  Qeadan F, Vanderloo MJ, Call M, Thornquist R, Tingey B, Morrow E, Locke A.  Acad Med. 2025 Dec 1;100(12):1478-1485. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000006055. Epub 2025 Apr 1.  PMID: 40168550   
   
   The study authors explored the association between self-reported communication, engagement and employee well-being and faculty turnover within departments at an academic medical center. They evaluated data from an annual survey of engagement administered to faculty.  Nineteen departments and 2,084 faculty met inclusion criteria.  There was a decreasing trend between all three wellness domain scores and turnover. Lower turnover was seen in departments with higher wellness scores.  Strong communication, engagement and well-being scores were associated with decreased faculty turnover within the organization indicating that a multipronged approach to improving workplace culture could be an effective way of reducing turnover.
   
7. Network analysis of job burnout, job performance, and affect among part-time university faculty: educational implications.  Feng T, Wang H, Wang X, Liu X.  BMC Med Educ. 2025 Oct 30;25(1):1522. doi: 10.1186/s12909-025-08124-4.  PMID: 41168727 Free PMC article.
   
   This study was a cross sectional involving 1,020 part time faculty at a single institution.    Participants completed validated instruments assessing job burnout, job performance and affect. The study demonstrated that the burnout-affect performance nexus is complex and gender specific amongst part time faculty. Task performance acts as a central protective resource across while depersonalization in men and negative affect in women represent vulnerabilities.  This study identifies gender sensitive leverage point that can inform educational policy and teaching practice interventions aimed at promoting faculty well-being and sustain teaching quality.
   
8. Exploring interventions for fostering resilience among medical educators.  Chan L, Chan PPL, Bilney EVM, Ganotice FA, Chen JY, Lam TP, Wong CKM, Wong SYS, Whitehead CR, Tipoe GL.  Med Teach. 2025 Oct 24:1-12. doi: 10.1080/0142159X.2025.2570819. Online ahead of print.  PMID: 41134909
   
   This study explores interventions perceived by medical educators fostered resilience. Twenty educators from two medical schools participated in video interviews that were semi-structured.  Transcripts were anonymized and a thematic analysis was performed. Referencing Bronfenbrenner’s Process-Person-Context-Time (PPCT) nine interrelated themes across the four PPCT domains were identified. Process level (supportive relationships and communication) and Context level (institutional conditions) were perceived as essential for fostering medical educators resilience.  The findings underscore the importance of designing resilience interventions that address institutional, relational, systemic and cultural dimensions.
   
9. Impact of continuing professional development (CPD) on patient outcomes: a systematic scoping review.  Ali S, Sethi A, Soltani A, Nazar Z.  BMC Med Educ. 2025 Oct 2;25(1):1284. doi: 10.1186/s12909-025-07883-4.  PMID: 41039533 Free PMC article.
   
   This article is a scoping review, synthesizing evidence linking CPD participation directly to patient outcomes.  It identifies interventional designs, and outcome measures and explores implementation and contextual factors that influence effectiveness of CPD.  The articles reviewed were from PubMed, Embase, CINAHL and ERIC.  A mixed method approach was used combining quantitative and qualitative analysis.  This study revealed that only a few studies directly evaluate CPD’s impact on improved patient outcomes.  It did demonstrate that programs that were geared toward practical skill development, protocol- based implementation organizational support can enhance patient care.  Future research have rigorous methodologies, outcome measures and long term follow up to better evaluate CPD’s impact on improving patient care.
   
10. Sustaining the Biomedical Research Workforce: Medical School Leadership in Supporting Research Learners.  Mandt BH, Blake NMJ, Swartz TH.  Acad Med. 2025 Oct 1;100(10):1113-1119. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000006114. Epub 2025 Jun 2.  PMID: 40460264  
    
    This article is a commentary on the need for academic medical centers to address the needs of biomedical graduate students and postdoctoral researchers.  The current structure at many academic medical centers prioritizes clinical learners over research learners leaving them without adequate support. They often have a single mentor, prolonged training and mistreatment may go unaddressed.  This article highlights the urgent need and how to target these through specific interventions.  The goal of these interventions is to strengthen mentorship, proactive mental health strategies and foster inclusive research environments that promote psychological safety that will increase learner’s success and decrease attrition.

Joseph Szot, MD is the Associate Dean for CME and Integrative Education, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa. 

Craig Campbell, MD is Director of Curriculum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottowa.