Research activities and critical appraisal skills among Saudi orthopedic residents

Abstract

Background Medical research is a central part of any residency training. In view of the new Saudi orthopedic committee promotion regulation that mandates each resident to participate in a research project, the challenges that stand in the way of completion of substantial research within surgical residency must be investigated. The aim of this study was to assess the practice, attitudes, perception, and limitations associated with research among residents in the Saudi orthopedic program in the central region. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted between June and July 2020 using an online-based survey. The total number of study participants was 128 orthopedic residents out of the 191 residents enrolled in the central region program. Data were analyzed, and descriptive statistics in the form of frequency and percentage were determined, analytical tests were performed with P < 0.05 being statistically significant. Results Most residents (95 %) participated in a research project during residency. Most projects (53.10 %) were case reports followed by retrospective studies (48.40 %). The majority (79.70 %) did not attend a research methods course during residency. Experience in research differed significantly (P < 0.05) by age, residency year, and center. The mean involvement score was significantly higher among males at 3 (± 1) than among females at 2 (± 0) (P < 0.001). Only 40.60 % have access to orthopedic journals, and the same percentage (40.60 %) knew how to Critique original articles. There was a statistically significant difference in the accessibility score according to the training center. Lack of faculty support and mentorship were the main barriers to medical research at 62.50 and 39.10 %, respectively. A total of 68.80 % reported that funding was not available through their institutes. Conclusions In Saudi Arabia, the level of meaningful clinical research and publications by orthopedic residents is still low. The results of this study should be taken into consideration before the implementation of the new promotion criteria in the centers under the umbrella of Saudi orthopedic committee.

Attitude, knowledge, and barriers towards research analysis and writing in Saudi Arabia

“…In another Saudi investigation, Al-Mohrej et al . [ 16 ] reported that 95% of their orthopedic residents participated in research activities during their residency program. These differences may be attributable to the nature of the work and the availability of proper supervision and cooperation in these departments.…”

“…Evidence in the literature regarding the significance of the participants’ demographics is conflicting among studies in different global settings. [ 16 18 ] This may be attributable to the differences in the baseline characteristics and conditions that some residents can be subjected to over others, including previous exposure to education campaigns and the presence of cooperative supervisions for the corresponding residents. Therefore, further larger investigations are needed for increased understanding.…”

“…The items in the questionnaire were similar to those that had been previously published in other similar investigations. [ 10 13 14 15 16 17 18 ] We also modified the questionnaire to suit our intended outcomes and our targeted population. The main sheets of the questionnaire included the following: 1) baseline demographics and characteristics of the respondents, including age, gender, marital status, residency level and place, and specialty, and 2) questions assessing the attitude, knowledge, and barriers toward conducting research analysis and writing.…”

How do Saudi Board Orthopedic Surgery Residents perceive their residency learning experiences?

“…Moreover, a number of studies highlighted the research experience in residency training. [10,15] A multicenter study in Saudi Arabia shows that although residents have a positive attitude toward research, a large majority of residents are facing obstacles in conducting research. This study explains that residents' insu cient research skills is a major obstacle to pursue research.…”

“…[16,17,19] The current de ciency to theorize learning of residents undermines the transformative dynamics of learning and its multilayered mechanisms. In addition, the existing body of research overlooks the complexity of learning, focusing on limited aspects of residents' experiences, such as their learning preferences [16] , perception of research experiences [10,15] , and burnout. [9,10] None of these studies have utilized qualitive methods to collect data, and thus, not capturing the complexity of learning in residency education.…”