General Internal Medicine Resident Staffing Redesign
Each year, nearly 6,000 patients are admitted to the general internal medicine ward at St. Michael’s Hospital, the majority of whom arrive through the emergency department. From 2010 to 2016, the number of patients admitted increased by nearly 40%. Over the same time period, the number of resident physicians on the general internal medicine service has decreased by about 10%. The resulting mismatch can directly affect patient care and can also affect the well-being of resident physicians and supervising staff physicians.
By building a simulation model based on the current workload of the internal medicine residents, we can re-assign residents to match patient volumes. Developing innovative scheduling and human resource staffing to match the supply of resident physicians to the demand of patient care may help alleviate the current stressors placed on the general internal medicine service and the emergency department, and potentially improve patient flow and overall care.
