Italian Neurosurgical Residents' Experience with Research Activities: A National Survey

BACKGROUND: In parallel with the progress in neurosurgery, improvements in residents' training strategies have been reported. Increasing focus has been placed on residents' participation in research. Previous studies analyzed neurosurgery residents' contributions to research activities, time dedicated to research, and outcomes. However, few studies investigating these aspects outside the United States are present in the literature. METHODS: A 3-section survey was sent to neurosurgery residents in Italy to determine the current opinion, perceptions, and experiences in the research field. A review of the pertinent literature was carried out. RESULTS: Ninety-seven responding residents (response rate of 41.5%) self-reported an average time spent on research of 9.7 +/- 11.4 hours/week. In decreasing frequency, residents were working on retrospective cohort studies (27.5%), case reports (21.7%), case series (15.5%), prospective cohort studies (13.4%), and others (16.4%). The most commonly reported factors promoting interest in research were interaction with peers (76.3%), mentorship (70.1%), and conference exposure (52.6%). Reported strategies of program support were heterogeneous with a prevalence for established collaborative agreements (59.8%) and the presence of a study coordinator (37.1%). The most frequently cited limiting factors were regulatory paperwork (70.1%), call schedule (60.8%), and lack of participating students/residents (57.7%). CONCLUSIONS: By describing the current status of Italian residents' participation in research, we provide additional insight into factors supporting research involvement and existing barriers. Strategies for improvement at national and departmental levels are suggested. We encourage further investigations in other countries, to provide useful information in a worldwide framework.