Patient Perceptions of Trust in Trainees During Delivery of Surgical Care: A Thematic Analysis

Trust is an essential element of an effective physician-patient relationship. There is limited literature examining trust between trainees and patients in the surgical setting. The goal of this study was to investigate how otolaryngology patients perceive trust in trainees during delivery of surgical care.

We extracted trainee-specific data from a larger, qualitative interview study examining trust in the surgeon-patient relationship. We then used realist thematic analysis to explore preoperative otolaryngology patients' perceptions of trust in trainees during delivery of surgical care.

Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor, MI, a tertiary academic medical center.

Using convenience sampling, adults 18 years or older scheduled to undergo elective otolaryngologic surgery between February and June 2019 were invited, and 12 agreed to participate in the study.

All participants (n = 12) self-identified as White/Caucasian with a mean age of 60 years (range, 28-82). Participants were 50% (n = 6) female and 50% (n = 6) male. Thematic analysis of participants' perspectives about trust in trainees during delivery of surgical care revealed 3 themes. Trust in trainees is conditional based on (i) level of trainee involvement; (ii) trust in the attending surgeon; and, (iii) trust in the institution.

Trust in trainees during delivery of surgical care is conditional on types of tasks trainees perform, bounded by trust in their attending surgeon, and positively influenced by institutional trust. Trainees and surgical educators must look to innovative methods to engender trust more efficiently in the clinic and immediate pre-operative setting. Such approaches can have a positive impact on patient outcomes, facilitate stronger trainee-attending interpersonal relationships, and empower surgeons to practice the professional values integral to surgical care.