Patients' perception of surgical training in private hospitals

Surgical training is traditionally a public hospital-based practice. At Epworth Private Hospital, Richmond, Victoria, there are three accredited surgical training positions and one fellowship position. We conducted a patient survey to review the patients' perspective of surgical trainees in private hospitals.

Over 6 weeks, 100 patients admitted under the surgical units with full-time surgical registrars were given a survey to complete in two parts on the training of surgeons in private hospitals.

Seventy per cent of surveys were returned completed. Ninety per cent of respondents agreed that private hospitals should be involved in surgical training and 85.7% of patients were agreeable to having trainees involved in their operation. Only 1.4% of patients were not in agreement with surgical training in private and 8.6% of patients were neutral in their opinion.

Our results clearly show that private hospital patients are generally favourably disposed to the presence and participation of surgical trainees in the private hospital setting.