Continuity of care in dermatology residency programs in the United States

Purpose: As established by the AccreditationCouncil for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME),dermatology residents in the United States mustparticipate in continuity clinic. This requirementmay be achieved through multiple means, allowingfor program variation. To better assess continuityclinic’s role in resident learning, more data onthis component of graduate medical education isneeded. Methods: An anonymous online survey wasdistributed via the American Board of Dermatologylistserv to all U.S. dermatology residents. Continuityclinic organization, setting, frequency, and patientand preceptor characteristics were assessed; residentsatisfaction and learning were compared. Results:Of 231 responses, 7.8% reported continuity clinicdaily, 77.1% weekly, 9.1% every other week, 3.0%monthly, 0.4% once every several months, and 2.2%only during certain blocks. Of the clinics reported,80.1% were “resident-run with attending” and 11.3%were attending-run. The rest were “resident-run withno attending” (0.9%), both resident and attendingrun(3.0%), or “other” (4.8%). Trainees in resident-runclinics (with attendings) reported greater continuityof care than those in attending-run clinics (p<0.001).Residents reported better teaching with attendingpresence during patient encounters than whenattendings were present only if concerns were raised(p<0.01)