30 Non-emergency medicine residents: Creating an efficient workforce

Authors

Cheron Heron, Beaumont Health
Payal Shah, Beaumont Health
Danielle Turner-Lawrence, Beaumont Health

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-2017

Abstract

Objectives: We aim to assess productivity of non-EM residents from various specialties and to develop a model that describes efficiency, defined as patients seen per hour (pts/hr), weighted by month of training. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of non-EM resident patient logs from July 2014 to June 2016. Current training month and the average patients seen per hour were extracted. Rotating residents, who hail from Anesthesia (Anes), Internal Medicine (IM), Medicine/ Pediatrics (M/P), Obstetrics/Gynecology (Ob/Gyn), Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR), Transitional Year (TY), spent one month rotating within our suburban Emergency Department (ED) whose annual patient volume exceeds 120,000. For each resident, the mean number of patients per hour and standard deviation (SD) was calculated. Linear regression was used to develop a model that describes expected efficiency for a non-EM resident per month of training. Results:We analyzed data from 110 non-EM residents over 24 months. We found the average pts/hr was similar amongst specialties, except for IM PGY2, whose average pts/hr was higher (Table 1). An inexperienced non-EM resident sees 0.873 pts/hr. In addition, non-EM resident efficiency increases quarterly (Table 2) and they are able to see an additional 0.012 pts/hr based on their current month of training. Linear regression was used to develop a model to describe predicted efficiency for a non-EM resident. The model predicts that pts/hr = 0.873 + (0.012 x training month) (F(1, 108)=59.10, p=0.00, R2 of 0.35). Conclusions:An efficiency prediction model allows for individual goals and expectations to be set for ED staffing and non-EM resident workflow. Residents rotating in the ED later in training are more productive. This model may assist strategic placement of the EM rotation in a non-EM resident’s curriculum

Comments

Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors (CORD) Annual Meeting, Fort Lauderdale, FL, April 28, 2017

Recommended Citation

Heron L, Shah P, Turner-Lawrence D. Non-emergency medicine residents: Creating an efficient workforce. Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors (CORD) Annual Meeting, Fort Lauderdale, FL, April 28, 2017.