Physician‐faculty perceptions towards teaching incentives: A case study at a children’s hospital

Abstract

Purpose: This exploratory study examines affiliate physician-faculty perceptions and attitudes regarding a teaching incentive programme at a free-standing children's hospital in the United States. We describe the compensation model and present faculty interpretations of its influence on the institutional culture.Methods: A case study methodology was applied to understand the sociological aspects of academic productivity interventions. In-depth interviews, direct observation of leadership meetings, teaching activity logs, organisational theoretical lens and survey results were used for methodological triangulation. Data from these multiple sources were coded and discussed between investigators iteratively to identify core themes.Results: Of the faculty eligible for the incentive, 32 engaged in in-depth interviews (N = 32/107; 30%) and 88 (interviewees included) in the survey (N = 88/107; 82%). Findings suggest that while the implementation made some strides in mitigating barriers for some, for others gaps were identified that suggest further exploration within this domain of study is warranted. The incentive implementation was perceived as strategic, intending to encourage the academic culture of the hospital, though participants commonly expressed confusion about the rationale behind the omission of teaching allocations in formal contracts. However, high satisfaction levels for the programme as a conduit to change were evident. There was a perception of a shift in the collective faculty morale that reflected an evolving institutional culture that increased enthusiasm for teaching. Finally, faculty noted their perception that institutions that employ teaching incentives could positively influence faculty recruitment. Conclusion:We found a modest incentive-based reward for teaching activity was successful in informing the perceptions of faculty regarding their institution's academic prestige goals and teaching recognition. Such programmes, while requiring a small investment of time and resources by institutional leadership, can convey that the educational mission remains a priority in this era of increasing clinical and administrative pressure and an institutional culture that may positively influence faculty morale and dedication to teaching.This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.

Finding alignment between numbers and values in medical education

“…A similar finding was observed in a study by Martinez et al where some of the faculty members felt that financial incentives missed the point by failing to address the underlying need for more time. 4 Clearly, in these examples, how incentives were implemented, including their context and degree, was equally as, if not more important than the incentive itself.…”

Precepting medical students in the clinical setting: Its time, not money

“…compensation and awards) for teaching. A growing body of literature exists to guide us regarding primary care physician and preceptor motivation toward teaching 3–6 . Expectedly, a longitudinal experience is superior, fostering relationship building and trust over time.…”

“…As such, studies in this area could benefit from a disaggregation by rank or years of experience. With few studies taking rank into consideration in motivation we know very little about the role promotion, academic rank, and senior faculty status bear on extrinsic motivation for preceptors 6 …”

Transforming existing norms for payment and legitimacy of ‘teaching work’ in medical education

“…But how do we do this? One solution offered by Martinez et al 4 is individual financial reward for teaching. There are challenges to both individual and organisational approaches.…”

“…Martinez et al 4 invite us to consider important questions about the provision of medical education. They problematise the delivery of clinical teaching as undervalued work.…”