The “July effect” refers to the detrimental impact on patient care, efficiency and outcomes in teaching hospitals when a new class of residents comes on board each year in the summer. This is not just scuttlebutt. The authors note several research studies that found that patient care takes longer, is more expensive, or more likely to have errors when the patient is hospitalized in July. What to do? The authors, who are associated with the University of Michigan, suggest a multi-pronged plan to address the July effect. The first steps involve identifying and incentivizing outstanding physician educators who are willing to serve as July-able attendings and also grooming senior residents to be ready for leadership and teaching responsibilities in July. Academic health systems can also invest more in simulation-based training and improving communications.
Source: Petrilli, C.M., Del Valle, J., and Chopra, V. (2016, July). Why July matters. Academic Medicine, 91(7), 910-912. Click here: http://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/Fulltext/2016/07000/Why_July_Matters.12.aspx Posted by AHA Resource Center (312) 422-2050, rc@aha.org
Filed under: Academic medical centers, Efficiency, Posted by Kim Garber | Tagged: Academic health centers July effect, Academic medical centers July effect, Hospital residents, July effect in teaching hospitals |
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