Balancing patient safety and resident education: the perceived impact of critical care response teams on clinical autonomy and training

<p>Background: The critical care response team (CCRT) supports the management of hospitalized patients with acute clinical deterioration; however, its perceived impact on resident education and clinical autonomy remains uncertain.</p> <p>Objective: To evaluate residents&rsquo; perceptions of the CCRT regarding clinical learning, professional autonomy, collaborative decision-making, and preparedness to manage clinically deteriorating patients.</p> <p>Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at a tertiary hospital in Riyadh from July 2017 to July 2018 among residents from medical and surgical specialties. Participants completed a 28-item questionnaire that included 20 statements rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Descriptive analyses and subgroup comparisons using Fisher&rsquo;s exact test were performed.</p> <p>Results: Of 211 eligible residents invited, 128 responded (response rate, 60.6%). After excluding 18 respondents without relevant CCRT exposure, 110 residents were included. Most respondents (82.7%) perceived working with the CCRT as a valuable educational experience, 52.7% disagreed that the CCRT reduced opportunities to care for unstable patients, and 7.3% perceived decreased autonomy. In the gender comparison, male residents more often reported collaborative treatment decision-making with the CCRT than female residents (81.2% vs. 65.9%; p = 0.0369), whereas female residents more often disagreed that the CCRT decreased their autonomy (p = 0.0405).</p> <p>Conclusion: Residents generally perceived the CCRT favorably with respect to patient safety, education, and professional autonomy. These findings reflect residents&rsquo; perceptions and should not be interpreted as evidence of objective improvements in clinical competence, autonomy, or patient outcomes.</p>