Developing an interprofessional conflict management framework for surgical residents: a qualitative study

Interprofessional conflict is the actual or perceived contradiction of needs, values, or interests between two or more individuals, often arising from individual or organizational factors. This type of conflict can lead to stress, tension, and negative emotions between the parties involved. Given the importance of teamwork in clinical settings, this study aims to develop a framework for interprofessional conflict management tailored for surgical residents in clinical environments.

This qualitative study employed a conventional content analysis approach. Participants included surgical specialists from Iran University of Medical Sciences, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the inductive content analysis method described by Graneheim and Lundman.

A total of 21 participants (15 men and six women) were included in the study. The codes were derived from meaning units, categorized into subcategories based on shared themes or concepts. The analysis of the interview led to the identification of 845 initial codes, 15 Sub-categories, and five main categories. Among these, "Conflict Management Competencies" emerged as the primary category due to its high frequency and central relevance to the research objectives. Based on the five main categories identified in this study, we developed an Interprofessional Conflict Management Framework for surgical residents.

The findings indicate that surgical specialists regularly experience interprofessional conflicts in clinical settings, with conflict management competencies emerging as the most frequently identified code. Therefore, it is essential to incorporate Conflict management into Surgery formal and hidden curriculums to enhance teamwork and achieve optimal patient outcomes.