Patients' Perceptions of Resident Surgeon Involvement in Otolaryngology

OBJECTIVES To assess patient acceptance of resident involvement in otolaryngologic procedures and to evaluate the impact of a written preoperative educational pamphlet. STUDY DESIGN Prospective cohort study. METHODS This is a prospective survey study at a large tertiary care academic center. In addition to standard perioperative instructions and informed consent, 87 out of 183 patients received a pamphlet with information on the role of the otolaryngology resident. RESULTS Greater than 90% of all patients surveyed recognized that resident physicians are directly involved in delivering care at teaching hospitals and may have assisted in their surgical procedure. Ninety percent of patients receiving educational pamphlets were aware residents may have performed portions of their procedure versus 71% in the control group (P = .001). Ninety-seven percent of patients receiving pamphlets wanted to know how much of their procedure was performed by a resident versus 71% of the control group (P