As healthcare clinicians, it's essential that we engage in self-reflection to improve our practice continually. However, many of us face challenges when it comes to reflecting on our work.

One of the most significant obstacles is the threat to our self confidence. Most healthcare professionals are high achievers who are used to success. Acknowledging failure can be tough and may lead to feelings of shame, guilt, or incompetence. These challenges often prevent us from embracing self reflection to its fullest.

Another challenge is that we have a limited data set on which to reflect. Collecting data on our performance is not always easy - as the saying goes, “not all that is important can be measured, and not all that can be measured is important”.

Even when we do, there are often too many factors involved in the outcome of patients for a direct causal relationship to be defined. This lack of objective data can make it challenging to assess our performance accurately.

Despite these challenges, self-reflection is essential for healthcare professionals. It can help us identify areas for improvement and prevent errors or mistakes from happening again. The good news is that there are solutions to these challenges.

One solution is to use tools like Osler to document events that are important to us in a structured manner and learn from them. By using these tools, we can gain a better understanding of our strengths and weaknesses and identify areas for improvement. By sharing and receiving feedback on our reflections, the benefits can be dramatically accentuated.

However, these systems need to provide users with the confidence that their data is protected.

The case of UK doctor Hadiza Bawa-Garba sent shockwaves throughout the medical community, and junior doctors in Australia are not immune to the implications of this case. Bawa-Garba, a junior doctor in the UK, was struck off the medical register after being found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter in the death of a young child.

One of the most concerning aspects of this case for junior doctors in Australia is the misuse of portfolio data. Bawa-Garba's e-portfolio, which documented her training and development as a doctor, was used as evidence against her in court. This has raised concerns among junior doctors about the security of their own portfolio data and the potential for it to be used against them in the future.

Another solution is to seek feedback from others. We can ask colleagues, supervisors, and patients for feedback on our performance. This feedback can help us identify blind spots and areas for improvement that we may not have recognised on our own.

We can also engage in self-reflection by self-debriefing, taking time to analyse our experiences and thoughts. By taking a few minutes each day to reflect on our interactions with patients, we can identify patterns in our behavior and thought processes. This can help us become more aware of our biases and assumptions, which can ultimately lead to better patient care.

In conclusion, self-reflection is essential for healthcare professionals to improve their practice continually. While it can be challenging, there are solutions to the obstacles we face, such as using tools like Osler, self-debriefing and seeking feedback from others. By engaging in self-reflection, we can become better clinicians and provide better care for our patients.