Impact of Rounding Setting on the Quality of Medical Trainee Experience.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Clinical Practice
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Hospital rounding practices have shifted from bedside to workroom settings.
• Previous research on bedside rounding attitudes primarily focused on residents' educational value, neglecting medical students and other learner experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively assess resident and medical student perceptions of bedside rounding.
• To evaluate the impact of rounding settings on key learner domains.
• To identify common barriers to effective bedside rounding.

Main Methods:

• Anonymous surveys were administered to internal medicine residents and medical students at a large academic medical center.
• Structured qualitative interviews were conducted and analyzed using constructivist grounded theory.
• Learner perspectives on the impact of rounding setting were examined across key domains.

Main Results:

• Surveys included 77 residents (45% response rate) and 112 medical students (39% response rate).
• 18 interviews were conducted (10 residents, 8 medical students).
• A majority of both residents and medical students preferred table or hybrid rounding over bedside rounding across most domains.

Conclusions:

• Medical students perceived more benefits of bedside rounding, including teaching opportunities and improved patient care.
• Findings suggest a need for institutional guidelines and faculty development to enhance learner engagement with bedside rounds.