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“Play” on Professionalism – the Unique Impact of Forum Theater on the Perception of Resident Mistreatment
Purpose: Heighten awareness and stimulate behavior change of inter-resident mistreatment through Forum Theater curriculum.
Background: Peer-to-peer mistreatment amongst residents is underreported and understudied. Residents are responsible for mistreatment of other residents 15% of the time1. Mistreatment can generate significant distress in the learning environment, impacting wellbeing and patient care. Forum Theater is an interactive composition built around social justice designed to stimulate discussion/change. A Forum Theater pilot intervention was created to help residents recognize and mitigate mistreatment in their learning environment.
Methods: Focus groups with Ob/Gyn and Urology residents identified underlying mistreatment behaviors which formed scenarios for the Forum, allowing specific relevant circumstances for each program. Subsequently, moderator-led resident sessions were employed during scheduled academic time. Participants anonymously completed a pre/post-intervention survey modeled after Didwania 2 to assess attitudes and impact on mistreatment behaviors. Another assessment six months post-intervention was administered and analyzed using two sample paired t-tests and two-proportion z-tests for dichotomous variables.
Results: Twenty-eight residents participated in two forums. Six months post- intervention, mistreatment behaviors decreased including “making fun of others” (62.5% to 16% p=0.008), sending “disparaging texts” (54.2% to 12% p=0.017), and “disparaging the ER team/outpatient doctor to others” (26% to 4% p=0.03). All observed mistreatment behaviors except for “”name calling” and “blocking” post-intervention compared to baseline decreased by 42%-63%. Ninety-two percent of participants would recommend the forum to a colleague.
Discussions: Both programs noted consistent behavioral changes stimulated by the intervention. Participants reported enhanced awareness of and observed less mistreatment behaviors. Further exploration is planned.1. Fnais N, Soobiah C, Chen MH. Harassment and Discrimination in Medical Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Acad Med. 2014;89:817–827.2. Didwania A, Farnan J, Icayan L. Impact of Video-Based Interactive Workshop on Unprofessional Behaviors Among Internal Medicine Residents. JGME 2017;9(2):241-244.
Topics:
CREOG & APGO Annual Meeting, 2021, Resident, Faculty, Osteopathic Faculty, Residency Director, Professionalism, Interpersonal & Communication Skills, GME,