Supporting Trainees by Addressing Inappropriate Behaviors by Patients.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Physician Training
• Patient-Physician Interactions

Background:

• Physicians in training face unique challenges, including potential discrimination and inappropriate behaviors from patients.
• Internal Medicine (IM) residents may be particularly vulnerable to these negative experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the frequency of inappropriate patient behaviors toward IM residents.
• To assess residents' confidence in managing such encounters.
• To explore demographic differences in experiences with patient discrimination.

Main Methods:

• A curricular session was developed to address patient discrimination and inappropriate behaviors.
• A 16-question survey was administered to IM residents before the session to assess experiences with macro- and microaggressions.
• Descriptive statistics and chi-square/Fisher exact tests were used for data analysis.

Main Results:

• The majority of surveyed residents experienced patient macro- and microaggressions.
• Over 50% of residents experienced or witnessed race- or gender-related macroaggressions.
• Seventy percent of residents personally experienced microaggressions, with women and residents of color disproportionately affected.

Conclusions:

• Patient macro- and microaggressions toward IM residents are prevalent.
• There is a low level of resident confidence in responding to these behaviors.
• Educational curricula are essential to equip trainees with effective response strategies.