Elisa Phillips

All Publications

• The Effect of Mistreatment from Patients and Families on Pediatric Resident Professional Identity Formation. Academic pediatrics Phillips, E. M., Edwards, J. G., Aiello, L., Gilliam, C. A., Seltz, L. B., Spencer, D. J., Rassbach, C. E. 2026: 103221

  Abstract

  Mistreatment by patients and families is linked to adverse patient outcomes and physician burnout, and particularly affects women and underrepresented in medicine (UIM) physicians. We sought to explore how this source of mistreatment affects trainee professional identity formation (PIF), a key process in the development of altruistic physicians.We conducted this multi-institutional qualitative study between May and October 2023 with semi-structured interviews of pediatric residents. We used the constant comparative method consistent with modified grounded theory to analyze data through a lens of Cruess et al's model of PIF in medicine.We interviewed 32 pediatric residents and identified four primary themes, which we used to develop a conceptual model. 1) Residents identify patient and family-centered care as core to their professional identity, while acknowledging their vulnerability to mistreatment from patients and families. 2) Mistreatment threatens resident PIF through fractured patient-provider relationships, negative impacts on patient care, and decreased psychological safety of the learning environment. 3) Mistreatment that is frequent, unaddressed, and centered around personal traits is particularly damaging to PIF. 4) Residents employ various strategies to mitigate the negative impacts of mistreatment and ultimately deepen their professional identity.Mistreatment from patients and families negatively affects pediatric resident well-being, learning, and professional identity, with particular impacts on women and UIM residents. Our study informs ways that institutions can best structure support to navigate mistreatment while optimizing trainee learning and PIF, along with patient care.

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.acap.2026.103221

  View details for PubMedID 41554495

• The Challenges of Multisource Feedback: Feasibility and Acceptability of Gathering Patient Feedback for Pediatric Residents ACADEMIC PEDIATRICS Mahoney, D., Bogetz, A., Hirsch, A., Killmond, K., Phillips, E., Bhavaraju, V., McQueen, A., Orlov, N., Blankenburg, R., Rassbach, C. E. 2019; 19 (5): 555–60

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.acap.2018.12.002

  View details for Web of Science ID 000475720600014

• The Challenges of Multisource Feedback: Feasibility and Acceptability of Gathering Patient Feedback for Pediatric Residents. Academic pediatrics Mahoney, D., Bogetz, A., Hirsch, A., Killmond, K., Phillips, E., Bhavaraju, V., McQueen, A., Orlov, N., Blankenburg, R., Rassbach, C. E. 2018

  Abstract

  OBJECTIVE: The ACGME calls for residency programs to incorporate multisource feedback, which may include patient feedback, into resident competency assessments. Program directors face numerous challenges in gathering this feedback. This study assesses the feasibility and acceptability of patient feedback collection in the inpatient and outpatient setting at three institutions.METHODS: Patient feedback was collected using a modified version of the Communication Assessment Tool (CAT). Trained research assistants (RAs) administered the CAT to eligible patients/families in pediatric ward, intensive care (ICU), and outpatient settings from July-October 2015. Completion rates and reasons for non-completion were recorded. Patient satisfaction with the CAT was assessed on a five-point Likert scale.RESULTS: 860/1413 (61%) patients completed the CAT. Completion rates in the pediatric ward and ICU settings were 45% and 38% respectively, compared to 91% in the outpatient setting. In inpatient settings, survey non-completion was typically due to participant unavailability; this was rarely a reason in the outpatient setting. 93.4% of patients were satisfied or very satisfied with using the CAT. 6.36 hours of RA time would be required to gather a valid quantity of patient feedback for a single resident in the outpatient setting, compared to 10.14 hours in the inpatient setting.CONCLUSIONS: While collecting feedback using our standardized protocol is acceptable to patients, obtaining sufficient feedback requires overcoming several barriers and a sizable time commitment. Feedback collection in the outpatient setting may be higher-yield than the inpatient setting due to greater patient/family availability. Future work should focus on innovative methods to gather patient feedback in the inpatient setting to provide program directors with a holistic view of their residents' communication skills.

  View details for PubMedID 30576788