App opens gateway to malignant “feedback”
The concept of the app is okay. Unfortunately, this app allows attending surgeons to write whatever they desire, but offers no chance for the learner to write about the assessments. This inadvertently created a place for hateful comments, ranting, and venting about residents in an exaggerated fashion just because a case was hard to teach. Therefore, the premise of the app is inappropriate in practice, because it fails to achieve the goal of thoughtful feedback designed for growth. Remember, these comments are forever placed into a learner’s record, they are being used for evaluation, and most importantly, they are damaging surgical confidence (a skill that is already difficult to acquire). No program should be using this app.
