How I Learned is How I Teach - Perspectives on How Faculty Surgeons Approach Informed Consent Education.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Informed Consent

Background:

• Informed consent is a cornerstone of ethical medical practice.
• Variability in surgical attending experience may impact resident education on informed consent.
• Understanding these influences is crucial for optimizing surgical training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the diversity of surgical attending experiences and perspectives on informed consent.
• To determine how these factors affect the education of surgical residents.
• To identify patterns in teaching preferences and beliefs regarding informed consent.

Main Methods:

• A novel electronic survey was distributed to faculty surgeons.
• The survey explored learning experiences, clinical practice, teaching preferences, and beliefs about informed consent.
• Statistical analyses included Chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis testing, and cluster analysis.

Main Results:

• 85 surgeons responded across 17 specialties.
• Observation was the most common method for learning and teaching informed consent.
• Cluster analysis identified 5 distinct attending phenotypes with varying teaching strategies and concerns.
• Younger attendings reported less diverse learning and higher concerns for liability and resident competency.

Conclusions:

• Surgeon demographics, experience, and specialty significantly shape teaching styles for informed consent.
• Resident educational experiences regarding informed consent are directly influenced by attending surgeon characteristics.
• Tailored educational strategies may be needed to address diverse attending perspectives.