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Resident involvement in postoperative conversations: an underused opportunity
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Resident involvement in postoperative conversations: an underused opportunity

Allison W Lorenzen, Scott K Sherman, Marcy Rosenbaum and Muneera R Kapadia
The Journal of surgical research, Vol.190(2), pp.437-444
08/2014
DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2014.05.020
PMCID: PMC4994470
PMID: 24927930
url
http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2014.05.020View
Open Access

Abstract

Because of established attending-patient and family relationships and time constraints, residents are often excluded from the immediate postoperative conversation with family. Interpersonal and communication skills are a core competency, and the postoperative conversation is an opportunity to develop these skills. Our objective is to assess attitudes, experience, and comfort regarding resident participation during postoperative conversations with families. Residents and attending surgeons in an academic surgery center were surveyed regarding resident involvement in the postoperative conversation with families. Paper surveys were administered anonymously. Nonparametric statistics compared responses. There were 45 survey respondents (23 residents, 22 attendings). All residents rated postoperative conversations with families, as “important” or “very important”. Residents reported being “comfortable” or “very comfortable” with postoperative conversations. However, on average, residents reported fewer than 10 postoperative conversation experiences per year. Feedback was received by <30% on postoperative communication skills, but 88% wanted feedback. Most attendings reported it is “important” or “very important” for residents to communicate well with families during postoperative conversations, but rated residents' performance as significantly lower than the residents' self-assessments (P < 0.001). Attendings on average were only “somewhat comfortable” or “moderately comfortable” with residents conducting postoperative conversations with families, and only 68% reported allowing residents to do so. When bad news was involved, only 27% allowed resident participation. Most attendings (86%) believed residents need more opportunities with postoperative conversations. Although most residents reported being comfortable with postoperative conversations, these survey results indicate that they have few opportunities. Developing a workshop on communication skills focused on the postoperative conversations with families may be beneficial.
 Surgeons Postoperative conversation Patient families Communication Residents

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