Exploring the Integration of Patient Perspectives in Surgeon Education: Awareness, Engagement and Barriers to Implementation.

Abstract

Integrating patient perspectives in medical education is increasingly recognised as critical for patient-centred care. However, many continuing professional development (CPD) programmes - particularly in surgical education - lack a structured approach to involve the patient perspective. This study explored faculty awareness, exposure, engagement and perceived barriers to integrating patient perspectives in surgeon education. We conducted an initial interview with a surgeon educator and a patient advocate to promote awareness and inform the design of an online questionnaire to be distributed to surgeon faculty. The questionnaire assessed familiarity with patient inclusion in education, frequency of involvement in educational activities, collaboration with patient organisations and perceived importance and barriers. We received 68 responses from surgeon faculty across 32 countries. While 77.7% were familiar with the concept of patient inclusion, only 54.4% had attended education that included patient perspectives in the past 5 years and 44.1% had involved patients in designing or delivering education. The most cited barriers for patient inclusion were lack of awareness (64.7%), institutional culture (45.6%), time constraints (42.7%), and concerns about liability or ethics (36.8%). Despite perception of low current levels of integration by 85.3% of respondents, the overall importance of incorporating the patient perspective in surgical education was rated high (average 3.57/5). Suggestions for improvement included partnerships with advocacy groups, use of patient stories, and involving patients in curriculum development. We can conclude that faculty recognise the value of integrating patient perspectives in surgical education, but practical implementation in CPD remains limited. Addressing cultural, ethical and institutional barriers and promoting collaboration with patient organisations may support more meaningful and sustained integration of patient perspectives in surgical education.