Interns’ Schedules Leave Little Time for Patients

For medical residents, internships provide vital opportunities to talk with patients and conduct examinations. These interactions with patients offer tremendous benefits, which is why a new study showing that interns are spending far too little time with patients is so worrisome.

The study, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, finds that interns spend much more time on indirect patient care than on direct patient care.

The researchers at John Hopkins University School of Medicine tracked 29 medical residents at four large academic medical centers over a period of three weeks. They found that 64 percent of the interns’ time was spent on indirect patient care, such as looking up a patient’s medical history, placing orders, and filing electronic documentation. Approximately 15 percent of their time was spent on educational activities, such as going on medical rounds, while 7 percent was spent on other activities.

Overall, the interns spent just about 7 percent of their time at patients’ bedsides interacting with them. The researchers found that the interns spent an average of only eight minutes per day on direct interaction with each patient they treated. This is far too little time for what is one of the most critical areas of training for medical residents. Greater interaction can reduce the chances of a misdiagnosis.

“One of the most important learning opportunities in residency is direct interaction with patients,” said Dr. Lauren Block, the study leader and a clinical fellow in general internal medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in a press release. “Spending an average of eight minutes a day with each patient just doesn’t seem like enough time to me.”

The modern medical system has expanded the duties of medical residents, leaving them with less time for patient interactions, the researchers said. In fact, according to the researchers, the time that medical residents spend with patients has actually been declining continuously since 2003, when hospitals were first required to limit consecutive work hours for interns.

“Getting to know patients better can improve diagnoses and care and reduce medical errors,” Dr. Block said.

The medical malpractice lawyers at Morrow Kidman Tinker Macey-Cushman, PLLC represent victims of medical negligence by doctors, nurses, technicians and other medical personnel in Seattle and across Washington.

Source:

• John Hopkins Medicine, press release April 23, 2013.
• http://consumer.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=675706