Training and Education Research Grant from the Intuitive Foundation
Drs. Taryn Taylor, Rachael Pack, and Sayra Cristancho were recently awarded a Training and Education Research Grant from the Intuitive Foundation ($60,000 USD) for their study entitled, “ Dismantling the culture of silence: using simulation to explore perspectives of problematic team hierarchy behaviours”. The Intuitive Foundation is a philanthropic organization that seeks to reduce the global burden of disease and suffering through research and education aimed at better patient outcomes.
This innovative study aims to generate a deeper understanding of how and why the culture of silence persists in surgery. Whereas most previous research has focused on training team members to be more courageous, direct and assertive in “speaking up” , little work has explored how leaders learn to listen and meaningfully respond when questioned or challenged. Using scenario-based simulation, the research team will map the range of possible actions and inactions team members can take up in response to a patient safety concern. The study will also elicit surgeons’ perspectives on their role in both enabling speaking up behaviours and meaningfully “listening down”. Insights from this important work will aim to dismantle the culture of silence by rebalancing the burden of responsibility of “speaking up” from trainees to the team as a whole.
