Learner Handover in Undergraduate Medical Education: Comparison of Student and Educator Perspectives and Considerations for Implementation

INTRODUCTION: Learner handover (LH) involves sharing information about a learner's performance between educational experiences to support longitudinal skill development and individualised teaching. Despite proposed benefits, there has been limited formal implementation owing to concerns around bias, stigma, and confidentiality. Existing literature has largely examined student and educator perspectives separately. This study compares and contrasts medical student and educator views on LH and describes key identified considerations in its potential implementation in undergraduate medical education. METHODS: An anonymous online survey was distributed to medical students and physician-educators at the University of Toronto. Multiple choice and Likert-scale questions assessed perceptions around LH and were analysed using descriptive statistics. Open-ended questions explored views around optimising LH implementation and were analysed thematically. RESULTS: A total of 177 students and 40 educators participated. Both groups highlighted early identification of students in difficulty (57% students, 93% educators) and individualised teaching (58% students, 70% educators) as key benefits. Concerns around bias (90% students, 93% educators) and stigmatisation (81% students, 75% educators) arose in both groups. Educators generally viewed LH more favourably, whereas students expressed greater concern regarding harms. Qualitative themes highlighted four key considerations for implementation: transparency, student involvement, confidentiality and learner support systems. These findings informed the development of a preliminary organising model for LH implementation. DISCUSSION: Students and educators recognised both potential benefits and risks of LH but differed in their overall support for implementation, highlighting the importance of involving both students and educators in the development of LH policies.