Every July,
hospitals across the country welcome new medical graduates into their ranks. Many
studies have been conducted to examine the so-called “July Effect,” the
increase in negative outcomes and rates of medical errors for patients often
attributed to this influx of inexperienced doctors. However, according to an article in Modern Healthcare, the “July Effect” may require further
examination.
While some studies
have found that there is an uptick in medical errors and patient morbidity in
July, many doctors and hospitals are arguing that the “July Effect” may have
little to do with recent medical graduates entering hospitals and staff
turnover, and that the effect may vary by institution. One of the major studies
on the “July Effect” posited: “Heterogeneity in the existing literature does
not permit firm conclusions about the degree of risk posed, how changeover
affects morbidity and rates of medical errors, or whether particular models are
more or less problematic.”
Hospitals
are staying vigilant, though. Through training programs for interns covering “everything
from hand hygiene to advanced cardiac life support” and increased attention to
quality and safety in orientations, hospitals are trying to combat the “July
Effect,” whether real or perceived.
The Accreditation
Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) created the Clinical Learning
Environment Review program in 2012 to provide feedback to hospitals on patient
safety and other areas. "What we are doing as an organization is driving
change by providing that information and then coming back two years later to
see what's changed," states Dr. Kevin Weiss, the ACGME's senior vice
president for institutional accreditation.
