Academic Hospitalist Programs and the Impact on Resident Education [3C

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INTRODUCTION: Hospitalist programs have increased in prevalence since their introduction in the mid-1990s, doubling over a 5-year period from 114 to 240. While the laborist model increases patient safety and decreases physician fatigue and burnout in general, its impact on resident education is unknown. The purpose of the study was to determine the number of hospitalist programs within an academic setting and to exam the perceived impact of the program on postgraduate training in obstetrics and gynecology. METHODS: A validated survey was sent to program directors at all 242 U.S. Obstetrics and Gynecology training programs using an anonymous online survey instrument. The survey included 9 questions and took approximately 3-5 minutes to complete. The email was distributed three times: initial email with follow up emails at one and six months. Groups of interest were compared by chi-square test. RESULTS: 242 OB/Gyn residency training programs were surveyed. There were 98 respondents for a response rate of 36%. Twenty-eight percent of programs had a hospitalist program. Of these programs, the majority perceived the presence of laborists to have a positive impact on resident education (n=30, 90%) and did not perceive a reduction in the number of patients or procedures available to the residents (n=26, 96.3%). In addition, resident feedback in these programs indicated a hospitalist program was beneficial to their education (n=19, 70%). CONCLUSION: The implementation of a hospitalist program in the setting of postgraduate training in Obstetrics and Gynecology does not negatively impact resident education and is perceived by program leadership and trainees as beneficial.