TY - JOUR
T1 - How do Perceptions of Autonomy Differ in General Surgery Training Between Faculty, Senior Residents, Hospital Administrators, and the General Public? A Multi-Institutional Study
AU - Kempenich, Jason W.
AU - Willis, Ross E.
AU - Rakosi, Robert
AU - Wiersch, John
AU - Schenarts, Paul Joseph
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - Objective: Identify barriers to resident autonomy in today's educational environment as perceived through 4 selected groups: senior surgical residents, teaching faculty, hospital administration, and the general public. Design: Anonymous surveys were created and distributed to senior residents, faculty, and hospital administrators working within 3 residency programs. The opinions of a convenience sample of the general public were also assessed using a similar survey. Setting: Keesler Medical Center, Keesler AFB, MS; the University of Texas Health Science of San Antonio, TX; and the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE. Participants: A total of 169 responses were collected: 32 residents, 50 faculty, 20 administrators, and 67 general public. Results: Faculty and residents agree that when attending staff grant more autonomy, residents' self-confidence and sense of ownership improve. Faculty felt that residents should have less autonomy than residents did (p < 0.001). When asked to reflect on the current level of autonomy at their institution, 47% of residents felt that they had too little autonomy and 38% of faculty agreed. No resident or faculty felt that residents had too much autonomy at their institution. The general public were more welcoming of resident participation than faculty (p = 0.002) and administrators (p = 0.02) predicted they would be. When the general public were asked regarding their opinions about resident participation with complex procedures, they were less welcoming than faculty, administrators, and residents thought (p < 0.001). The general public were less likely to think that resident involvement would improve their quality of care (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Faculty and senior residents both endorse resident autonomy as important for resident development. The general public are more receptive to resident participation than anticipated. However, with increasing procedural complexity and resident independence, they were less inclined to have residents involved. The general public also had more concerns regarding quality of care provided by residents than the other groups had.
AB - Objective: Identify barriers to resident autonomy in today's educational environment as perceived through 4 selected groups: senior surgical residents, teaching faculty, hospital administration, and the general public. Design: Anonymous surveys were created and distributed to senior residents, faculty, and hospital administrators working within 3 residency programs. The opinions of a convenience sample of the general public were also assessed using a similar survey. Setting: Keesler Medical Center, Keesler AFB, MS; the University of Texas Health Science of San Antonio, TX; and the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE. Participants: A total of 169 responses were collected: 32 residents, 50 faculty, 20 administrators, and 67 general public. Results: Faculty and residents agree that when attending staff grant more autonomy, residents' self-confidence and sense of ownership improve. Faculty felt that residents should have less autonomy than residents did (p < 0.001). When asked to reflect on the current level of autonomy at their institution, 47% of residents felt that they had too little autonomy and 38% of faculty agreed. No resident or faculty felt that residents had too much autonomy at their institution. The general public were more welcoming of resident participation than faculty (p = 0.002) and administrators (p = 0.02) predicted they would be. When the general public were asked regarding their opinions about resident participation with complex procedures, they were less welcoming than faculty, administrators, and residents thought (p < 0.001). The general public were less likely to think that resident involvement would improve their quality of care (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Faculty and senior residents both endorse resident autonomy as important for resident development. The general public are more receptive to resident participation than anticipated. However, with increasing procedural complexity and resident independence, they were less inclined to have residents involved. The general public also had more concerns regarding quality of care provided by residents than the other groups had.
KW - Autonomy
KW - Graduate surgical education ownership
KW - Interpersonal and Communication Skills
KW - Patient care
KW - Patient Care and Procedural Skills
KW - Professionalism
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84936118934&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84936118934&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jsurg.2015.06.002
DO - 10.1016/j.jsurg.2015.06.002
M3 - Article
C2 - 26160132
AN - SCOPUS:84936118934
JO - Journal of Surgical Education
JF - Journal of Surgical Education
SN - 1931-7204
ER -