Medical residents’ perceptions of a training programme for effective negotiation in the clinical workplace: a needs assessment study.

Background:
Currently, there is a growing need for health care leaders who possess capabilities to deliver care that effectively serves the needs of their communities [1]. As a result, many postgraduate medical training programs have been revised in order to prepare physicians to practice adequately in modern health care environments. This mandate is reflected in the seven CANMEDs competencies namely: medical expert, collaborator, communicator, scholar, professional, manager and health advocate.



In clinical practice, many clinical disciplines choose and apply their teaching methods differently. In addition to the difference in instructional methods, (i.e. teacher or student centered) differences also exist in the frequency of teaching as well as the level of involvement of trainees in the process. There is plenty evidence demonstrating the proven advantages of adult learning principles in teaching. In the continued search for the best way to align the education of physicians in training with the needs of changing health care systems however, it is imperative that practical didactic approaches be chosen for the process.



There are many student-centered teaching methods that can be used to teach medical residents in the literature some of which include the flipped classroom, case-based discussion (CBD), peer teaching and the simulation clinic. CBD is a student-centered teaching method used for training residents medical expertise and professional behavior. We were particularly interested in the benefits of CBD as a teaching method because of its proven potential to teach analytical and decision-making skills.



Hence we assumed that CBD would be a beneficial method to teach leadership skills, and in particular effective negotiation in (postgraduate) medical education [4]. In light of the paucity of studies investigating the training needs of residents for effective negotiation and how to address these, this study shall explore current educational methods used to teach effective negotiation in residents, residents experience with case-based discussion as well as their knowledge, skills and attitude regarding negotiation.



[1] Busari JO, Berkenbosch L, Brouns JW. Physicians as managers of health care delivery and the implications for postgraduate medical training: a literature review. Teach Learn Med. 2011;23(2):186-96.

[2] Jerrard MA. Assessing Student Learning and Skills Using the Case Study Method. Journal of New Business Ideas and Trends. 2005:3(1):27-36.

1) Exploring residents educational needs for effective training in negotiation skills.

2) Case-based discussions can stimulate the effective acquisition of negotiation skills

3) CBDs are suitable instructional methods for training negotiation skills.

12-10-2015 to 03-01-2016: conducting needs assessment

03-01-2016 to 31-01-2016: data analyses

A needs assessment evaluating the effectiveness of the current educational methods for residents, their experience with case-based discussion and their knowledge, skills and attitude regarding negotiation.