Study: Female, minority surgeons experience greater distress after adverse events

Editor's Note

Surgeons and surgical trainees who are female or from minority racial or ethnic backgrounds report higher levels of negative emotions and self-doubt after adverse events, according to a recent study in JAMA Network Open.

According to a June 5 report in MedPage Today, the single-site, mixed-methods study found that 82.8% of trainees had been involved in at least one recent adverse event. Within that group, 84.8% reported embarrassment, 82.1% reported rumination, 64.4% reported fear of attempting future procedures, and 35.9% considered quitting. Compared to male trainees, females reported more physical symptoms, such as difficulty sleeping and loss of appetite.  

Nothing that few trainees utilized institutional support resources, researchers recommend implementing formalized debriefing, counseling, and other support strategies, MedPage reports. Limitations of the study include small sample size and potential survey bias.