Background
The Curriculum Committee of the American College of Surgeons-Accredited Educational
Institutes conducted a need assessment to (1) identify gaps between ideal and actual
practices in areas of surgical care, (2) explore educational solutions for addressing
these gaps, and (3) shape a vision to advance the future of training in surgery.
Methods
National stakeholders were recruited from the committee members' professional network
and interviewed via telephone. Interview questions targeted areas for improving surgical
patient care, optimal educational solutions for training in surgery including simulation
roles, and entities that should primarily bear training costs. We performed an iterative,
qualitative analysis including member checking to identify key themes.
Results
Twenty-two interviewees included state/national board representatives, risk managers,
multispecialty faculty/program directors, nurses, trainees, an industry representative,
and a patient. Surgeons' communication with patients, families, and team members was
raised consistently by stakeholders as a way to establish clear expectations regarding
pre-, peri-, and postoperative care. Other comments highlighted the surgeon's development
and demonstration and maintenance of cognitive and technical skills, including surgical
judgment. Stakeholders also reiterated the critical need for surgeons to engage in
on-going self-assessment and professional development to identify and remediate recognized
limitations. Recommended learning modalities for meeting surgeons' needs included
active learning (deliberate practice, diverse patient experiences), experiential learning
(simulation), and peer and mentored learning (preceptorship).
Conclusion
This first formal needs assessment of education for surgeons points to opportunities
for educational programs in patient-centered communication, learning models that match
preferences of new generations of trainees, and training in interprofessional/interdisciplinary
team communication and teamwork.
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
April 18,
2014
Identification
Copyright
© 2014 Mosby, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
