Patient Perspectives on Resident Involvement in Plastic Surgery.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Patient Experience
• Surgical Training

Background:

• Patient perception of resident physician training and involvement in surgical procedures is crucial for informed consent and trust.
• Understanding patient awareness regarding the educational background and capabilities of resident physicians is essential in academic medical centers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess patient perceptions of the training levels of resident and attending physicians.
• To evaluate patient perspectives on the involvement of residents in surgical procedures.
• To identify gaps in patient understanding and communication regarding resident participation in surgery.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional, survey-based study was conducted.
• Anonymous electronic surveys were distributed to patients at Vanderbilt University Medical Center who had undergone plastic surgery within the last three years.
• A total of 837 surveys were returned from 3370 participants, yielding a 24.8% response rate.

Main Results:

• Only 58.7% of patients were confident that a resident physician had completed medical school.
• While 58.4% of patients usually knew if a resident would assist in their surgery, 86.3% desired this information.
• A significant majority (76.3%) were comfortable with residents performing parts of their surgery if the attending surgeon was readily available to intervene.

Conclusions:

• Patient comprehension of resident physician education and surgical competence is notably low.
• A significant disparity exists between patients' desire to be informed about resident involvement in surgery and the actual communication they receive.
• Enhanced communication strategies are needed to improve patient understanding and address concerns regarding resident participation in surgical care.