The missing element in urology training: operative dictation skills

TL;DR

Urology residents and surgeons rely on informal methods for learning operative dictation, as formal training is largely absent in residency programs.

Contribution

This study identifies the lack of formal operative dictation training in urology residency and calls for standardized curricula.

Findings

96.7% of residents and 98.2% of surgeons reported no formal operative dictation training during residency.

Participants primarily learned through informal methods like reviewing old dictations and guidance from senior residents.

There is a consensus on the need for standardized training modules to improve documentation quality and legal reliability.

Abstract

Operative dictation (OD) is a critical component of surgical documentation, yet its formal teaching is often overlooked in residency training. This study aimed to evaluate the inclusion of OD training in urology residency programs and assess awareness and practices among urology residents (URs) and staff urologists (SUs).

A structured questionnaire was developed to explore OD practices, awareness, and training methods. The questionnaire consisted of four sections: demographic characteristics, OD practices, awareness of OD as a skill, and formal OD training. It was distributed via e-mail to URs and SUs whose contact information was obtained from the Turkish Urological Association’s Central Anatolia Branch. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data.

The survey was sent to 252 participants and achieved a response rate of 86.9% (n = 219). Among the respondents, 61 were URs (27.8%) and 158 were SUs (72.1%). Most participants (96.7% of URs and 98.2% of SUs) reported no formal OD training during residency, informal methods, such as reviewing old ODs and guidance from senior residents, were commonly cited as learning approaches. Despite recognizing the importance of structured OD templates, participants highlighted the absence of standardized training curricula. Similar responses from experienced and novice surgeons suggest that this gap has persisted for decades.

This study highlights the lack of formal OD training in urology residency programs and the reliance on informal methods. Integrating standardized OD training modules into residency curricula is essential to improve documentation quality and medico-legal reliability. Future research should explore the effectiveness of educational interventions and develop universal guidelines for OD practices.

Not applicable.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-025-07032-x.