Attitudes to Conduct Research in Physicians Specializing in Care for Older Adults: A Longitudinal Study

OBJECTIVES: To assess attitudes regarding conducting research and perceived learning experiences during residency of physicians specializing in "elderly" care medicine. DESIGN: Multimethod longitudinal study (December 2019-March 2024). SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Residents of a 3-year program specializing in long-term care for older adults in the Netherlands, conducting a mandatory training research study as part of their curriculum. METHODS: Attitudes were assessed at the beginning, midway, and end of the study using validated scales for intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, and perceptions of conducting research. Explorative analyses across study phases were conducted using random-effects models. Independent of the quantitative analyses, residents' reflection reports were analyzed inductively and then thematically using a Self-Determination Theory framework. The findings were compared for an integrated synthesis. RESULTS: Of 78 invited residents, 41 (53%) participated. Residents in groups that started before the pandemic, nonnative Dutch residents, and those with more research experience had more favorable attitudes toward conducting research. Changes-in particular, decreased intrinsic motivation when conducting analyses-were noted in the initial phases, including when developing a research question, whereas in the later phases, attitudes mostly returned to initial levels. In the reflection reports, most participants stated that they found the training study educational in some way. The residents supported each other, using their previously acquired skills to contribute to the assignment and learn from one another. Factors that stimulated intrinsic motivation to conduct research comprised a coherent mix of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The findings suggest that attitudes toward conducting research are largely shaped already before residency, in turn affecting learning experiences. The cohort effect indicates that the COVID pandemic affected attitudes. A sufficient sense of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, particularly regarding the choice of research subject, course planning, and supervision, is needed to foster positive attitudes toward research and successful joint learning.