Physician Disclosure and Patient Awareness of Resident Involvement During Podiatric Surgery: Do Patients Deserve to Know Who is Holding the Scalpel?

An anonymous questionnaire consisting of multiple-choice style questions was created at www.surveymonkey.com to assess physicians' perspectives regarding podiatric resident involvement disclosures in the surgical setting. The survey link was sent to podiatric residency program directors, attendings, residents, and fellows through email, social media outlets, and direct contact. For the purpose of this study, residents and fellows will be grouped together as trainees. A total of 201 participants were surveyed, including 63 program directors, 61 attendings, and 77 trainees. Of the respondents, 89.5% reported that at least 1 resident introduces themselves to the patient as a participant in the case. Additionally, 99% of responses revealed that trainees are performing at least 50% of the case. However, surgeons perceive that only 25% of patients are truly aware of this advanced level of involvement. This study suggests that 89.5% of podiatric physicians do in fact disclose trainee surgical participation. However, it is perceived that patients are still unaware of the extent of trainee involvement. Further studies are warranted which would account for both patient and physician understanding of this controversial topic.