High value care education in general surgery residency programs: A multi-institutional needs assessment

Am J Surg. 2021 Feb;221(2):291-297. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2020.09.032. Epub 2020 Sep 28.

Abstract

Background: The ACGME mandates that residency programs provide training related to high value care (HVC). The purpose of this study was to explore HVC education in general surgery residency programs.

Methods: An electronic survey was distributed to general surgery residents in geographically diverse programs.

Results: The response rate was 29% (181/619). Residents reported various HVC components in their curricula. Less than half felt HVC is very important for their future practice (44%) and only 15% felt confident they could lead a QI initiative in practice. Only 20% of residents reported participating in a root cause analysis and less than one-third of residents (30%) were frequently exposed to cost considerations.

Conclusion: Few residents feel prepared to lead quality improvement initiatives, have participated in patient safety processes, or are aware of patients' costs of care. This underscores the need for improved scope and quality of HVC education and establishment of formal curricula.

Keywords: Cost control; Education; Graduate; Internship and residency; Medical; Patient safety; Quality improvement; general surgery.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Curriculum / standards
  • Curriculum / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • General Surgery / economics
  • General Surgery / education*
  • General Surgery / standards
  • General Surgery / statistics & numerical data
  • Health Care Costs
  • Humans
  • Internship and Residency / organization & administration*
  • Internship and Residency / standards
  • Internship and Residency / statistics & numerical data
  • Male
  • Needs Assessment / statistics & numerical data*
  • Patient Care / economics
  • Patient Care / standards*
  • Patient Safety / economics
  • Patient Safety / standards
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic
  • Quality Improvement*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires / statistics & numerical data