How do surgical trainees learn in clinics?
Research type
Research Study
Full title
How do Surgical Trainees Learn in Outpatient Clinics? A Video-Reflexive Ethnography Study
IRAS ID
254224
Contact name
Alison Ledger
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Leeds
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
MREC 18-104, University of Leeds Ethical Approval
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 31 days
Research summary
Outpatient clinics form a significant workload within surgical practice, both for consultants and trainees. Though trainees spend a great deal of their time in clinics, they often view clinics merely as service provision and a barrier to gaining surgical experience in the operating theatre. Outpatient clinic education is often under-supported, further emphasising this view. In other elements of surgery, training is incremental, with trainees being afforded graded responsibility according to their level of training. Conversely, in outpatient clinics, work is often more independent, and so this gradual responsibility perishes; a patient would not be reassured to realise their missed malignancy was due to their consultation being undertaken by a surgical trainee. While learning in the outpatient clinic has been studied previously, it is yet to be explored in detail and in-situ, by observing trainees in their natural clinical practice. This study examines how trainees learn within outpatient clinics. This research will be undertaken within the paediatric surgery department in Leeds Teaching Hospitals in three phases. Initially, outpatient clinics completed by surgical trainees will be filmed. The video footage will be analysed by myself, the surgical trainee, and their consultant to determine where we observe learning events and whether our responses coincide. Representative clips demonstrating learning will be used to create a video for use in sessions similar to focus groups (reflexive sessions). These sessions will be attended by various members of the surgical team, who will view these clips with the aim of exploring barriers and facilitators in learning, both at a team-based and institutional level. Members of the group session may also consider their own practice. Data from all three stages will be analysed to identify and describe learning events in clinics, the factors affecting these, and consideration of suitable additional support.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - South Yorkshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/YH/0385
Date of REC Opinion
6 Feb 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion