Needs Assessment in Postgraduate Medical Education: A Review

Abstract

Although the concept of needs assessment in continuing medical education is well ac- cepted, there is limited information on needs assessment in postgraduate medical education. We discuss the learning needs of postgraduate trainees and review the various methods of needs as- sessment such as: questionnaire surveys, interviews, focus groups, chart audits, chart-stimulated recall, standardized patients, and environmental scans in the context of post graduate medical education.