Assessment and feedback methods in competency-based medical education.

Graduate and continuing medical education programs have transitioned to a competency-based medical education model, in which abilities necessary for the practice of medicine, called competencies, are defined as learning outcomes. Each competency contains milestones that describe stages of development from novice to master and provide criteria for assessing learners along this continuum. Assessments in competency-based medical education are formative and are intended to assist learners in achieving the next stage in mastery rather than render a final evaluation. Although written examinations are typically used to evaluate learners, assessments measuring the performance of skills, such as direct observation or patient registries, provide stronger evidence of achievement of learning outcomes. Once assessments identify strengths and areas of improvement in a learner, effective feedback is critical in assisting their professional development. Feedback should be routine, timely, nonthreatening, specific, and encourage self-assessment. The "ask-tell-ask" feedback method follows this framework by asking for the learner's self-assessment first, telling the observer's own assessment next, and then finally asking for the learner's questions and action plan to address the issues raised. Effective assessment and feedback in competency-based medical education assists learners in their continued professional development and aims to provide evidence of their impact on the health status of patients and communities.

From the pages of AllergyWatch®: September 2020.

For the September edition of From the Pages of AllergyWatch, I have chosen reviews of articles focusing on topics that affect shared decision making. The first study examines the fact that perceived triggers of asthma can affect the quality of life (QoL). The next report studied the importance of school experience, particularly the interaction with teachers and staff to help children manage their asthma. The last summary reviews a study analyzing the influence of socioeconomic differences affecting the higher prevalence and exacerbation rate for asthma in African American patients (Stanley Fineman, MD, Editor in Chief, Allergy Watch.).

Allergy Watch.

A new Annals feature in 2018, "From the Pages of AllergyWatch" is devoted to publishing synopses of Allergy and Asthma literature relevant to a topic of emphasis. These unbiased synopses and comments by our Editors have been previously printed in the AllergyWatch bimonthly newsletter, and it is our hope that presenting carefully selected article summaries and comments in the Annals will serve as a valuable educational resource for practicing allergists.

Peanut Oral Immunotherapy: a Current Perspective.

PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW: Peanut oral immunotherapy (OIT) is one of the most studied experimental therapies for food allergy. With the recently FDA-approved peanut product, Palforzia, the goal of this article is to review the most recent data from clinical trials, discuss recent trends, and anticipate future developments. RECENT FINDINGS: The latest research suggests that peanut OIT could be a promising option for peanut-allergic patients, with the majority of participants in research studies achieving the primary efficacy endpoint of desensitization, as well as sustained unresponsiveness in select populations. Some studies also showed improvements in food allergy-related quality of life. However, peanut OIT is not without risk or side effects, including potentially serious allergic reactions. Future research will need to evaluate the short- and long-term effectiveness of the therapy in the real-world setting, predictors of important treatment outcomes, and the use of adjunctive therapies that may mitigate some of these allergic reactions.

From the Pages of Allergy Watch: November 2019.

A new Annals feature in 2018, "From the Pages of AllergyWatch" is devoted to publishing synopses of Allergy and Asthma literature relevant to a topic of emphasis. These unbiased synopses and comments by our Editors have been previously printed in the AllergyWatch bimonthly newsletter, and it is our hope that presenting carefully selected article summaries and comments in the Annals will serve as a valuable educational resource for practicing allergists.

Asthma.

"From the Pages of AllergyWatch" is devoted to publishing synopses of Allergy and Asthma literature relevant to a topic of emphasis. These unbiased synopses and comments by our Editors have been previously printed in the AllergyWatch bimonthly newsletter, and it is our hope that presenting carefully selected article summaries and comments in the Annals will serve as a valuable educational resource for practicing allergists.