Parents' attitudes to medical education on paediatric ward rounds.

OBJECTIVES: To understand parents' attitudes to medical education of junior doctors and students during ward rounds, and to explore how parents' perceptions vary in medical and surgical paediatric wards. DESIGN: A mixed-methods descriptive study was done using 100 semistructured interviews across two departments at a single tertiary-level paediatric hospital. Quantitative data were derived from closed-ended interview responses and analysed using descriptive statistics to explore overall parental satisfaction with education on rounds. Qualitative data were obtained from open-ended interview responses using inductive content analysis, with themes agreed between three researchers. RESULTS: This study demonstrated high parental satisfaction with education on ward rounds, with over 85% of parents satisfied with education occurring on rounds. There was no difference between medical and surgical cohorts despite more parents witnessing teaching on medical rounds (70%) than on surgical rounds (16%). Qualitative data derived four key themes: altruism as the reason for supporting education, the child still comes first, setting the scene and the location matters. CONCLUSION: This research demonstrates parents support education of medical students and junior doctors during ward rounds, provided ward-based learning is not perceived to compromise care. Intentional communication with parents regarding the teaching process, including timing and location of teaching, helps improve engagement and parental satisfaction.

Ripple effect of a clinical teaching fellow programme in an Australian paediatric hospital.

AIM: Bedside teaching performed by experienced clinicians is an expected component of medical student training. As clinicians often have high clinical demands and a lack of formal training in teaching methods, clinical teaching fellowships have been established. In clinical teaching fellowships, clinicians with an interest and expertise in medical education provide medical students with standardised teaching. Studies about the impact of clinical teaching fellowships have demonstrated benefits for both clinical teaching fellows (CTFs) and medical students. However, studies have not evaluated the impact of these fellowships on other clinicians or learning relationships within the institution. In this study, we aimed to address this gap by gathering data on the perspectives of CTFs, medical students and hospital consultants. METHOD: A mixed-method design was used, utilising a combination of surveys for CTFs, medical students and hospital consultants and semi-structured telephone interviews for CTFs. Quantitative and qualitative data were obtained. RESULTS: The combination of data from CTFs, medical students and consultants enabled a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of the CTF programme within the institution. Although benefits were identified for CTFs and medical students, the consultant group noted that they were less involved in teaching medical students and that the CTFs were not well integrated into the ward team. CONCLUSION: This research highlights the importance of considering not only direct outcomes of teaching and learning but broader influences on more implicit teaching opportunities and relationships within hospital teams.

Descriptive study of parents' perceptions of paediatric ward rounds.

OBJECTIVES: To explore parents' perceptions of ward rounds in two different ward settings (medical and surgical unit) in a tertiary paediatric hospital in Australia and to understand key factors influencing them. DESIGN: A descriptive study was conducted based on 100 semistructured interviews across two different inpatient units: medical (n=50) and surgical (n=50). Quantitative data, obtained from closed-ended responses, were analysed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data, obtained from open-ended responses, were analysed using inductive content analysis, facilitating a more in-depth understanding of parents' perceptions of ward rounds and their lived experience. RESULTS: Parents in both medical and surgical units reported high levels of satisfaction with ward rounds, with a median parental satisfaction rating of 4 out of a possible 5 (comparative in both settings). Two major themes were identified influencing parental perceptions of ward rounds: team-family dynamics and managing uncertainties inherent to ward rounds. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that parents highly value ward rounds, primarily for the opportunity they offer to collaborate with the clinical team and to ask questions. Parental satisfaction was high in both medical and surgical units, despite notable differences in ward round structure and function. Our study highlights key areas where small changes could empower parents and enhance their overall hospital experience.