Postgraduate education in a changing occupational environment - Evaluation of postgraduate education in anaesthesiology over a period of five years (2006-2011)

Background: Postgraduate education in Germany plays a key role in ensuring a high quality of medical care. However, although the personnel resources and time involved make it a significant cost factor, funding continues to simply form part of the general cost of routine clinical practice, and is neither specifically calculated nor funded. The specific quality of postgraduate education in the respective specialities has not been adequately investigated and deserves regular evaluation as a quality management factor. Methods: Online evaluation in 2006, 2008 and 2011 of the associate members of the German Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine who received postgraduate training in anaesthesiology. Results: Overall satisfaction with postgraduate training achieved a median score of 3 (on a scale 1-5) and showed a time-dependent decrease. Education was considered "structured" by 42.2% of the respondents. Supervision (e.g. availability of a consultant within visual or auditory range) decreased significantly between 2006 and 2011. Certification of relevant training and educational talks (75.8% and 67.5%, respectively) increased, but the stipulated goals were not globally achieved. In regard to this and other aspects, differences in part considerable continue to exist between hospitals in the standard care, maximum care and university hospital categories. Conclusions: Despite relevant deficits in postgraduate education, the present data also confirm the will to preserve and improve the situation. However, the existing system would not appear to support such attempts, suggesting a need for separate funding of postgraduate education.