Assessing the Clinical Learning Environment in an Institution in the United Arab Emirates: The Resident Perspective

A new accreditation model in the United States has increased focus on the clinical learning environment (CLE). There is limited research on trainee perceptions of the CLE in international settings.

We surveyed residents to obtain their perspective on the CLE at 1 sponsoring institution in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

We surveyed residents at Tawam Hospital, UAE, a sponsoring institution with 142 trainees, on their perspectives in the 6 focal areas of the US Clinical Learning Environment Review (CLER) to gather baseline information. We administered a 26-item questionnaire to residents through an audience response system in November 2018.

Of 100 residents in postgraduate year 2 and above, 72 (72%) responded. The perspective of the majority of respondents was favorable in the areas of reporting patient safety incidents, engaging in quality improvement activities, using a standardized form for care transition, and using professional guidelines for electronic health record documentation. In contrast, only half of the respondents perceived there is honesty in the reporting of duty hours, and only 36% felt the organization supported fatigue management. Other areas for improvement included residents' understanding of the concept of health disparities and activities to address health disparities.

Our findings suggest that in key focal areas related to patient safety, health care quality, care transitions, and professionalism, UAE residents have similar perceptions of their CLE as US trainees. Opportunities for improvement include duty hour reporting, fatigue mitigation, and addressing health disparities.