Final year medical students as Assistants in Medicine in the emergency department: A pilot study

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the Assistant in Medicine (AiM) programme and its impact on physician burden and productivity in the ED. METHODS: Calvary Mater Newcastle ED employed eight final year medical students as part-time AiMs for a 10-week period from October to December 2021. Each student worked one 10-h shift per week. During these shifts, AiMs were assigned to a supervising doctor postgraduate year 3 or above to assist them with tasks including documentation, patient reviews, hospital consults, procedures, and discharge preparation. At the conclusion of each shift, the supervising doctor completed an online questionnaire of their experience. RESULTS: Forty-seven responses were received. Thirty-six doctors (77%) felt they were able to see more patients in comparison to an average shift without an AiM and 40 doctors (85%) felt that having an AiM increased their overall productivity. Forty-five doctors (96%) supported the implementation of final year medical students as AiMs as a permanent addition to the medical workforce in the ED. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates the strong potential the AiM programme has to improve productivity, workflow and efficiency in the ED.