Open AccessResearch productivity during orthopedic surgery residency correlates with pre‐planned and protected research time: a survey of German‐speaking countries
Author(s) -
Voss Andreas,
Andreß Björn,
Pauzenberger Leo,
Herbst Elmar,
Pogorzelski Jonas,
John Dominik,
Smolen Daniel,
Roessler Philip P.,
Tobert Daniel G.,
Sieker Jakob T.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.806
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1433-7347
pISSN - 0942-2056
DOI - 10.1007/s00167-020-05983-w
Subject(s) - traumatology , medicine , orthopedic surgery , bayesian multivariate linear regression , multivariate analysis , univariate analysis , univariate , multivariate statistics , family medicine , demography , regression analysis , gerontology , surgery , statistics , mathematics , machine learning , sociology , computer science
Purpose The purpose of this study was to identify modifiable factors associated with research activity among residents working in orthopedic surgery and traumatology. Methods Residents at 796 university‐affiliated hospitals in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland were invited to participate. The online survey consisted of questions that ascertained 13 modifiable and 17 non‐modifiable factors associated with the residents’ current research activities. Responses of 129 residents were analyzed. Univariate linear regression was used to determine the association of individual factors with the current research activity (hours per week). The impact of significant non‐modifiable factors (with unadjusted p values < 0.05) was controlled for using multivariate linear regression. Results The univariate analysis demonstrated six non‐modifiable factors that were significantly associated with the current research activity: a University hospital setting ( p < 0.001), an A‐level hospital setting ( p = 0.024), Swiss residents ( p = 0.0012), the completion of a dedicated research year ( p = 0.007), female gender ( p = 0.016), and the department’s size ( p = 0.048). Multivariate regression demonstrated that the number of protected research days per year ( p < 0.029) and the percentage of protected days, that were known 1 week before ( p < 0.001) or the day before ( p < 0.001), were significantly associated with a higher research activity. Conclusions As hypothesized, more frequent and predictable protected research days were associated with higher research activity among residents in orthopedic surgery and traumatology. Level of evidence III.