Abstract
Introduction
The transition period for new resident doctors is often overwhelming, requiring rapid adaptation while maintaining safe and effective patient care. The British Medical Association (BMA) advocates new resident doctor for induction. To support this process and improve efficiency, we developed an “Older People’s Handbook”, designed to familiarise new resident doctors with common conditions in geriatric medicine, provide practical guidance on navigating the hospital’s computer systems, and offer clear instructions for completing essential documentation.
Method
Resident doctors completing their four-month rotation (April 2025) in older people’s medicine were invited to provide feedback on the support they received and to comment on whether a handbook would be beneficial for future trainees. They were also encouraged to suggest topics for inclusion. Responses were collected and analysed, and this information was subsequently used to develop a new handbook for incoming resident doctors in August 2025. The handbook was developed using data from the April 2025 cohort and distributed to new resident doctors at departmental induction
Results
Data was collected from 25 resident doctors. 11 resident doctors were from the April 2025 cohort, and 14 resident doctors were from the August 2025 cohort. Among the April 2025 45.5% felt supported when they started older people’s medicine however in August 2025, 85.7% felt supported when they began the rotation. Among the August 2025 cohort 92.9% found the handbook beneficial.
Conclusion
New resident doctors often spend considerable time learning the practical aspects of their role, limiting focus on patient care. The introduction of the ‘Older People’s Handbook’ has enhanced support during rotation, with majority of residents finding it a valuable tool for clinical guidance and system navigation. Its success will be sustained through regular review and updates.
Comments
Practical Support for New Residents
I like the concept behind this project. It is a practical and thoughtful way to support new resident doctors as they transition into older people's medicine. Having a handbook tailored to specific challenges of a new rotation is incredibly valuable. and it will be interesting to see which areas the doctors initially felt less confident in and how the handbook helped to improve their confidence and efficiency over time.
Wow - what a great idea
I wish I'd had something like this before I started by geriatrics job!
Interesting topic and would…
Interesting topic and would be incredibly helpful for new doctors rotating into a geriatrics rotation whilst also helping to maintain continuity of care. There is also a lot of scope to expand this to other departments.
This is a great intervention…
This is a great intervention for a notoriously tricky transition point. I really like how the handbook goes beyond clinical topics to include computer systems and documentation, which are often the biggest early barriers to feeling effective on the ward. It’s also reassuring to see that you’re planning routine distribution to all incoming OPM residents and an annual review to keep it accurate and relevant – that level of structure is likely to make a real difference to both doctor confidence and patient care.
Fantastic resource
This is a great idea for both foundation support and patient safety!
This a very thoughtful study…
This a very thoughtful study that focused on both resident doctor's wellbeing and patient safety. Despite local induction, healthcare of older people has subtle differences in the approach to management that having a handbook could be quite useful to standardise care.
Love this idea! It is so…
Love this idea! It is so hard moving through rotations so quickly, often to new wards or hospitals with new teams, unwritten rules of practice etc. This is such a great way to take some of the stress away from that first week on a new rotation, which in turn improves patient safety. I am moving onto a geriatrics rotation soon and there is no handbook, I would love to organise something like this in my hospital!
Great idea!
This is a great idea and seems user friendly. Is this something that you are able to share please? I appreciate that the practical information will be location specific. Well done
I am an F1 about to go onto…
I am an F1 about to go onto my geriatric rotation and we have had very little support to prepare us for this, this kind of resource would be so beneficial for us. Is there a way to get access to the handbook? Would you feel comfortable with another trust utilising it?
Good support
Good resource which would help the transition period, is it worth considering another cycle?