What do patients attending an antenatal clinic know about the role of resident physicians?

To assess antenatal patients' working knowledge of resident physicians involved with their care.

A prospective short-answer survey was distributed to a convenience sample of 120 consecutive patients of a busy obstetrical practice in a teaching hospital in 2006. Patients were asked about resident physicians' roles and responsibilities, level of education, hours of work, and relationship to the attending physician.

The majority of patients had attended the teaching hospital within the preceding year and had also previously delivered a baby at the hospital. Only 7% of patient participants correctly identified a resident as actively involved in their care and only 18% correctly identified the attending physician as the residents' supervisor and/or educator. Most patients correctly identified the resident's highest level of education as university (90%) and knew that the resident was under the supervision of the attending physician (70%). Except the 5% of participants who answered "don't know," all respondents greatly underestimated residents' average weekly hours of work.

Patient knowledge of the role of the resident physician in the health care team is lacking. Increasingly, patients wish to be educated and engaged in their health care management. Given the significant role of residents in patient care in Canada's teaching centres, further attention should be paid to finding out what patients wish to know about their care providers and providing them with that knowledge.