(A109) Canadian Otolaryngology Residents and Medical Students' Attitudes Towards Caring for the Underhoused: A Survey Study

Introduction: This cross-sectional survey study explores and compares the attitudes, confidence, and interest of Canadian otolaryngology residents (PGY1-5) and medical students (years 1-4) in caring for individuals experiencing homelessness. The goal was to assess the association between clinical and surgical experience and perceptions towards this vulnerable population.

Methods: Participants completed the Health Professionals’ Attitudes Towards the Homeless Inventory (HPATHI), a validated tool measuring three domains (attitude, confidence, and interest). Recruitment involved distributing an electronic version of the HPATHI via institutional mailing lists. Multivariable linear regression models were used to identify the association of trainee type with the total score of each domain.

Results: A total of 340 participants completed the survey (47 otolaryngology residents and 293 medical students). Medical students showed significantly higher attitude (41.95 vs. 39.53, p< 0.01) and interest (4.43 vs. 4.23, p=0.03) scores in working with the homeless compared to residents. In multivariable regression analyses, while the higher attitude scores of medical students were not significant after adjusting for demographic factors (p=0.17), their higher interest scores remained significant (increase of 1.63 points, 95% CI 0.60-2.66, p< 0.01). Demographic factors like gender and ethnicity were also associated with more positive attitudes, with women and non-white respondents generally expressing greater empathy scores.

Conclusions: Medical students displayed more positive attitudes than residents, suggesting that with further training, empathy towards marginalized populations may wane. These results highlight the need for educational exposure and interventions during residency to improve the ability of healthcare providers to care for individuals experiencing homelessness.