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Cerqueira RJ, Heuts S, Gollmann-Tepeköylü C, Syrjälä SO, Keijzers M, Zientara A, Jarral OA, Jacob KA, Haunschild J, Ariyaratnam P, Durko AP, Muller P, Myers PO, Sadaba JR, Lehtinen ML. Challenges and satisfaction in Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency Programmes: insights from a Europe-wide survey. Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg 2021; 32:167-173. [PMID: 33236099 DOI: 10.1093/icvts/ivaa248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The increasing complexity of surgical patients and working time constraints represent challenges for training. In this study, the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery Residents' Committee aimed to evaluate satisfaction with current training programmes across Europe. METHODS We conducted an online survey between October 2018 and April 2019, completed by a total of 219 participants from 24 countries. RESULTS The average respondent was in the fourth or fifth year of training, mostly on a cardiac surgery pathway. Most trainees follow a 5-6-year programme, with a compulsory final certification exam, but no regular skills evaluation. Only a minority are expected to take the examination by the European Board of Cardiothoracic Surgery. Participants work on average 61.0 ± 13.1 h per week, including 27.1 ± 20.2 on-call. In total, only 19.7% confirmed the implementation of the European Working Time Directive, with 42.0% being unaware that European regulations existed. Having designated time for research was reported by 13.0%, despite 47.0% having a postgraduate degree. On average, respondents rated their satisfaction 7.9 out of 10, although 56.2% of participants were not satisfied with their training opportunities. We found an association between trainee satisfaction and regular skills evaluation, first operator experience and protected research time. CONCLUSIONS On average, residents are satisfied with their training, despite significant disparities in the quality and structure of cardiothoracic surgery training across Europe. Areas for potential improvement include increasing structured feedback, research time integration and better working hours compliance. The development of European guidelines on training standards may support this.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui J Cerqueira
- Cardiovascular Research and Development Unit, University of Porto and Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University Hospital Center of São João, Porto, Portugal
| | - Samuel Heuts
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | | | - Simo O Syrjälä
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Heart and Lung Center, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Marlies Keijzers
- Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Alicja Zientara
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, Harefield, UK
| | - Omar A Jarral
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Guy's and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Kirolos A Jacob
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | | | | | - Andras P Durko
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Patrick Muller
- Comprehensive Clinical Trials Unit, Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Patrick O Myers
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, CHUV-Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Miia L Lehtinen
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Heart and Lung Center, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
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Weiss M, Rossaint R, Iber T. Generalizable items of quantitative and qualitative cornerstones for personnel requirement of physicians in anesthesia. World J Crit Care Med 2017; 6:91-98. [PMID: 28529910 PMCID: PMC5415854 DOI: 10.5492/wjccm.v6.i2.91] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2016] [Revised: 12/07/2016] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Anesthesiologists perform a broad spectrum of tasks. However, in many countries, there is no legal basis for personnel staffing of physicians in anesthesia. Also, the German diagnosis related groups system for refunding does not deliver such a basis. Thus, in 2006 a new calculation base for the personnel requirement that included an Excel calculation sheet was introduced by the German Board of Anesthesiologists (BDA) and the German Society of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine (DGAI), and updated in 2009 and 2015. Oriented primarily to organizational needs, in 2015, BDA/DGAI defined quantitative and qualitative cornerstones for personnel requirement of physicians in anesthesia, especially reflecting recent laws governing physician’s working conditions and competence in the field of anesthesia, as well as demands of strengthened legal rights of patients, patient care and safety. We present a workload-oriented model, integrating core working hours, shift work or standby duty, quality of care, efficiency of processes, legal, educational, controlling, local, organizational and economic aspects for calculating personnel demands. Auxiliary tables enable physicians to calculate personnel demands due to differing employee workload, non-patient oriented tasks and reimbursement of full-equivalents due to parental leave, prohibition of employment, or long-term illness. After 10 years of experience with the first calculation tool, we report the generalizable key aspects and items of a necessary calculation tool which may help physicians to justify realistic workload-oriented personnel staffing demands in anesthesia. A modular, flexible nature of a calculation tool should allow adaption to the respective legal and organizational demands of different countries.
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