A Curriculum on Care for Complex Patients: Resident Perspectives

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Management
• Patient Care

Background:

• Caring for patients with complex medical, psychological, and social needs can overwhelm healthcare professionals.
• A specialized curriculum was developed to address the challenges faced by residents in managing complex patient populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To improve second-year residents' ability to care for complex patients.
• To enhance residents' understanding of care complexity and build essential skills in communication, teamwork, and resource management.

Main Methods:

• A month-long "Care for Complex Patients" curriculum was implemented.
• Surveys and focus groups were used for quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the curriculum's impact.
• Pre- and post-curriculum assessments were administered to participating residents.

Main Results:

• Eighty-three percent of residents completed assessments, showing significant self-rated improvement in 11 complex care management skills.
• Residents reported increased confidence and better utilization of community resources for complex patient care.
• Despite improvements, a substantial number of residents still felt not fully competent in many skills.

Conclusions:

• The curriculum enhanced resident self-confidence and willingness to manage complex care.
• One month of training was insufficient for residents to achieve full self-assessed competence in key complex care skills.
• Further development of training programs is necessary to ensure residents are fully equipped for complex patient management.