WHAT HYSTERECTOMY - PATIENTS WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE ROLES OF RESIDENTS AND MEDICAL-STUDENTS IN THEIR CARE

Purpose. To determine what patients want to know regarding the partici pation of trainees in their care. Method. In 1995, questionnaires were sent to 111 women who had undergone elective hysterectomies between S eptember 1992 and lune 1994 at two teaching hospitals at the Universit y of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine. The questionnaires asked the women about their awareness of and attitudes toward the par ticipation of residents and medical students in their care and about h ow they thought physicians should communicate information regarding re sidents to patients. Results. Fifty-nine women (68%) returned the ques tionnaire. Thirty-seven of them (63%) knew that a resident had been in volved in their care. Eighty percent of the respondents felt it import ant to know how residents were supervised and what they would do durin g the operation. Nearly half did not know whether a medical student ha d been involved in their care. Over 90% agreed that the attending gyne cologist should tell patients that a resident would participate in the operation as well as what the resident would do. Most believed that r esidents are adequately supervised and that medical students have time to provide more attention to patients. Conclusions. Most of the women wanted to know about the participation and specific roles of resident s and students. Attending physicians should take the initiative to tal k a with patients about the roles of trainees. Open discussions can pr omote patient autonomy, maintain public confidence in academic health institutions, and benefit future patients.