Behavioral Specification of the Entrustment Process

Abstract

The judicious entrustment of professional activities is a challenging process, fraught with uncertainty. Yet, it is the essence of clinical teaching and practice-based learning and improvement. Effective clinical teaching and supervision require an evidence-based approach to entrustment that should exemplify a broader, organizational approach to patient safety and quality improvement. Yet, relatively little is known about how supervisors use information gleaned from direct observations of trainee competence in entrustment decision making. A deeper understanding of the entrustment process will be useful in preparing clinical educators for their role in balancing the learning and clinical care objectives of the academic setting.