Last update:
07-Dec-2015

OBJECTIVE The quality of the educational environment is an important factor in the learning process. The Postgraduate Hospital Educational Environment Measure (PHEEM), which measures the perceptions of doctors about the quality of the hospital educational environment, was translated into Greek and validated in a sample of 731 trainees in all specialties from around Greece. This paper presents their perceptions.

METHOD The original questionnaire consists of 40 closed-type questions, 36 of which are expressed as positive affirmations and 4 as negative perceptions. The answers are expressed on a Likert scale of 6 levels (10 "strongly agree", 8 "agree", 6 "probably agree", 4 "probably disagree", 2 "disagree", 0 "strongly disagree"). The questions are grouped into three categories according to the perceptions of the trainees about autonomy, education, and social support. An additional 8 closed-type questions and one open-ended question were added for specialty selection criteria. Distribution and collection of printed questionnaires was conducted from 1 January 2011 till 16 February 2012, and online completion was carried out between 30 November 2012 and 19 November 2013.

RESULTS A total of 731 questionaires answered specialty trainees (190 paper, 541 on-line), 55% men and 45% women, aged 24–49 years (mean 33±3.5 years), who were in from the first to the sixth year of specialization (3.1±1.5 overall, 2.5±1.2 in specific skill positions). The distribution according to specialty was: 27% general practitioners, 12% general physicians, 6% surgeons, 6% cardiologists, 6% microbiologists, 5% pediatricians, 4% orthopedic surgeons, 3% each obstetricians-gynecologists, ophthalmologists, psychiatrists, neurologists and 22% from almost of all other specialties. The majority (88%) were residents in hospitals providing the full training in the specialty, and they covered almost all districts of the country. The average total score recorded was 4.11 (95% CI: 4.08–4.15). For the majority of questions (34/40=85%) the score was below the base (5). Autonomy was rated 3.86 (95% CI: 3.80–3.92), training 4.17 (95% CI: 4.11–4.22), social support 4.36 (95% CI: 4.29–4.43) and the fulfillment of the expectations the participants had when they entered medical school at 3.5 (95% CI: 3.3–3.7).

CONCLUSIONS Residents are generally not satisfied with the educational environment of the Greek hospitals chosen for their specialty training, and the expectations that they had when entering the entered medical school are not covered to the extent that they would like.

Key words: Doctors in training, Evaluation of hospital educational environment, Greece, PHEEM, Postgraduate training, Specialty.