Lack of Supervision and Independent Clinical Decision Making in Postgraduate Pediatric training in Australia

Abstract

Objective: Evaluation of postgraduate pediatric training is a complex yet critical task. We aimed to review pediatric trainees’ attitudes to clinical decision-making, levels of supervision and end of life issues in a tertiary pediatric teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia.

Method: A questionnaire was devised and distributed to all trainees at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick. All responses were anonymous. Results were independently analyzed using SPSS statistical software.

Results:Forty percent of trainees spent three hours or less per week face to face with more senior colleagues and 14% spent greater than 10 hours per week with more senior colleagues. Seventy-five percent of trainees spent three hours or less on the phone with more senior colleagues while 10% spent five hours or more on the phone with more senior colleagues. There was no association (or correlation) (p>0.05) between seniority of trainee and the number of times a trainee met face to face or phoned a more senior colleague to discuss a management plan. One in three trainees felt that they made less than 10% of clinical decisions on their own and 54% felt that they made less than half of decisions on their own. There was a statistically significant difference between seniority of training and the percentage of important clinical decisions made (p<0.01). Nearly half the trainees (47.7%) have not had the occasion to inform families of the death or impending death of a child. There was a statistically significant difference between seniority of training and the opportunity of informing families of a death of a child (p<0.01).Greater than two thirds of trainees feel that they have not received formal training in clinical decision-making. At the completion of four years of pediatric training only half the trainees considered themselves to be making the majority of clinical decisions.

Conclusion: There is a need for closer supervision of pediatric trainees by senior colleagues, who themselves, may require additional ongoing training to supervise appropriately. There should be a balanced environment where trainees can make safe, independent decisions. The perceived absence of clinical decision making training suggests a deficiency in the training program.