Clinic Design, Key Practice Metrics, and Resident Satisfaction in Internal Medicine Continuity Clinics: Findings of the Educational Innovations Project Ambulatory Collaborative

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Internal medicine programs are redesigning ambulatory training to improve the resident experience and answer the challenges of conflicting clinical responsibilities. However, little is known about the effect of clinic redesign on residents' satisfaction.OBJECTIVE: We assessed residents' satisfaction with different resident continuity clinic models in programs participating in the Educational Innovations Project Ambulatory Collaborative (EPAC).METHODS: A total of 713 internal medicine residents from 12 institutions in the EPAC participated in this cross-sectional study. Each program completed a detailed curriculum questionnaire and tracked practice metrics for participating residents. Residents completed a 3-part satisfaction survey based on the Veterans Affairs Learners' Perception Survey, with additional questions addressing residents' perceptions of the continuous healing relationship and conflicting duties across care settings.RESULTS: THREE CLINIC MODELS WERE IDENTIFIED: traditional weekly experience, combination model with weekly experience plus concentrated ambulatory rotations, and a block model with distinct inpatient and ambulatory blocks. The satisfaction survey showed block models had less conflict between inpatient and outpatient duties than traditional and combination models. Residents' perceptions of the continuous healing relationship was higher in combination models. In secondary analyses, the continuity for physician measure was correlated with residents' perceptions of the continuous healing relationship. Panel size and workload did not have an effect on residents' overall personal experience.CONCLUSIONS: Block models successfully minimize conflict across care settings without sacrificing overall resident satisfaction or resident perception of the continuous healing relationship. However, resident perception of the continuous healing relationship was higher in combination models.