Jul
Pilot Study Proves Texting Improves Resident Time
Posted by Matt N in Case StudiesTagged: Case Studies, medical, medical residency, residency, sms, texting
Medical residency is an exhaustive undertaking in more ways than one. Residents think of workweeks as marathons—spending innumerable grueling hours immersed in the rigors of medical life. In 2003, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) put an end to the endless week of the resident by imposing common duty hour standards in accredited programs. Now, educators and residents could focus on a clear, immovable and actively regulated number: 80 hours.
For medical residencies across the nation, the ACGME compliance standards sent out an alarm for improved record keeping and time tracking across the board. The Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn and the Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, NY, decided to take no chances, and
compare time tracking systems through a scientific process.
With six authors, their pilot study demonstrated the use of text messaging to enhance compliance with ACGME duty hour requirements.
“Our text messaging system utilizes TSheets, an online time and labor management service,” the abstract details. “The system is capable of creating timesheet reports for both administrators and residents, as well as notifying program administrators when residents have exceeded their allotted work hours.”
The study outlined two clear goals. To determine the feasibility of implementing the program, and to track resident satisfaction and compliance.
“We registered 39 residents with TSheets. Within three days compliance rose from 76.9 percent to 96.2 percent. After implementation of a twice-daily group text message reminder, compliance increased to 100 percent,” the study results report.
A time-tracking resident satisfaction survey was distributed after eight weeks of data collection. Of the participating residents, 96 percent were more satisfied with the current application compared with previously-used manual and swipe card systems. Self-reported resident scores of their ability to be in compliance with ACGME hours increased from 47 percent to 75 percent after implementation of the TSheets system.
The scientific conclusion? The state-of-the-art TSheets and text messaging approach “was associated with high levels of resident work compliance and overall satisfaction.” The next objective: to customize and integrate the program to enhance the resident experience for everyone involved.
