Table 7 Themes with benefits, challenges and suggestions for improvement

1. E-portfolio was simple and accessible.

1. User-friendly

2. Easily accessible

3. Well organised

4. Easy to navigate

5. Continuously available

1. Four learning plan iterations, difficult to conceptualise and not explained clearly enough.

2. Logbook entries could only be entered once and as a block entry per medical discipline, which made revisiting and updating them impossible.

3. Registering of procedures was time consuming with too much detail to fill in.

4. Initial conversion of paper-based data to electronic format mid-way through the year.

1. Explain iterations better, and make clearer in e-portfolio.

2. Allow for easier access to logbook entries

3. Mobile application

2. E-portfolio helped to improve monitoring of progress.

1. Registrars and supervisors interacted more frequently throughout the year and not just at the end of the year.

2. Supervisors and programme managers could monitor progress throughout the year as access to registrars’ portfolio was available all the time, not just at end of year.

3. Registrars could send supervisors a reminder via electronic format to review new additions to their portfolio.

Educational mind shift needed to work on portfolio more regularly.

Ongoing awareness among supervisors to engage with registrars’ portfolios.

3. E-portfolio made feedback more visible.

1. Electronic tracking of feedback became possible, together with the clarity of the entries.

2. Difficult feedback could be given more easily.

3. Registrars had to electronically acknowledge that they read their feedback.

1. Face-to-face feedback was neglected or compromised.

2. Feedback was not specific enough.

More structured template for giving feedback and not just a single open text box.

4. E-portfolio captured evidence of learning iteratively.

1. Easier to add their learning experiences regularly to their e-portfolios, which supported a more iterative developmental process.

1. Still a sense that the purpose of the portfolio was to provide evidence of learning to the faculty rather than enabling the registrar’s own self-development. 2. Constrained by the structure of the e-portfolio.

1. Allow for other media and more memory space and to be able to personalise their e-portfolio more.

2. Allow for more learning plans, reflections and assignments.