Useful but Different: Resident Physician Perceptions of Interprofessional Feedback

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Professional Development
• Interprofessional Collaboration

Background:

• Physicians are increasingly expected to integrate feedback from diverse healthcare professionals.
• Social identity theory suggests physicians may perceive feedback differently based on the provider's profession.
• Understanding residents' experiences with interprofessional feedback is crucial for improving training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine residents' experiences with and perceptions of interprofessional feedback.
• To compare the value placed on feedback from physicians versus other healthcare professionals.
• To identify barriers and facilitators to effective interprofessional feedback.

Main Methods:

• A 2013 survey was administered to Anesthesia, Obstetrics-Gynecology, Pediatrics, and Psychiatry residents.
• The survey assessed the frequency and perceived value of feedback from various professional groups.
• Follow-up interviews were conducted with a subset of residents to explore survey findings.

Main Results:

• Only 52% of residents completed the survey; 80% received physician feedback, while less than 10% received feedback from other professions.
• A significant interaction was found between residency program and feedback provider profession (F(21, 847) = 3.82, p < .001).
• Residents valued feedback from attending physicians more than from other professionals, with anesthesia residents rating interprofessional feedback lowest.

Conclusions:

• Residents reported limited exposure to and lower valuation of interprofessional feedback compared to intraprofessional feedback.
• Qualitative analysis revealed positive attitudes towards interprofessional feedback, alongside identified barriers.
• Opportunities exist to enhance the utilization and effectiveness of interprofessional feedback in residency training.