179 Using QIP to Create a Structured Teaching Programme to Improve Confidence in Basic Surgical Topics in Foundation Year 1 Doctors

Abstract

Abstract Aim We aim to create a new, structured teaching programme to help fill in knowledge gaps in newly qualified doctors, who have rotated into General Surgery. Method We ran the programme over three four-month periods. Prior to each rotation, we used a survey to assess multiple aspects: prior experience of surgical teaching, overall feeling of preparedness and confidence. We also asked for a self-evaluation on the doctor's confidence for specific basic surgical topics, on a 5-point scale. We asked for suggestion topics that doctors found difficult or lacked confidence in. We used this information to create a curriculum for the programme. We then reassessed these variables at the end of the cycle, using the information to plan and implement the next cycle. Results During the first cycle, we made no significant difference in any area. Experiencing significant barriers to attendance, organisation, and interaction with the survey. We used this first cycle to identify these barriers and address them for the second cycle. These changes led to a significant improvement in attendance, feedback from sessions and interaction with the questionnaires. We saw a 3-fold increase in attendance to sessions on average. After the second cycle, there was an overall improvement of confidence in all basic surgical topics. There was an increase in the number of doctors considering a career in surgery. Conclusions This teaching programme has led to an improvement in junior doctors’ confidence in basic surgical topics. Repeated PDSA cycles are allowing continuous improvement and change to maximise exposure to surgical teaching and training.