Developing an Evidence-Based Ethics Education Program for Surgical Residents in Guatemala

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Research Ethics

Background:

• Surgical residents require training in responsible conduct of research and human subjects protection (RCR/HSP).
• Assessing effective RCR/HSP training modalities is crucial for ethical research practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare an "off the shelf" online curriculum with a locally adapted in-person curriculum for RCR/HSP training among surgical residents in Guatemala.
• To evaluate the impact of these training modalities on residents' knowledge and confidence in ethical research conduct.

Main Methods:

• 160 surgical residents in Guatemala City participated in 2018.
• Residents completed online RCR/HSP programs, with an intervention group receiving additional in-person training.
• Pre- and post-assessments measured knowledge of research regulations and ethical concepts, analyzed using t-tests.

Main Results:

• 140 residents completed the study; overall scores improved from 52.7 to 58.7.
• Intervention-arm trainees showed greater confidence in identifying ethical issues and scientific misconduct.
• Both training modalities contributed to modest improvements in RCR/HSP knowledge.

Conclusions:

• Online RCR/HSP training is a recommended affordable and scalable strategy for Guatemalan surgical residency programs.
• Investment in in-person ethics education can enhance residents' self-efficacy in ethical decision-making.
• Addressing faculty, resource, and time limitations is key to implementing effective RCR/HSP training.