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Connecticut emergency department physicians survey. Implications for graduate medical education
R Salluzzo1, G Terranova, W Gemmell
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Albany Medical College, NY.
Insights
A 1989 survey of Connecticut emergency departments found only 31% of staff were board-certified emergency physicians. This highlights a significant physician staffing shortage, with 20% of positions unfilled statewide.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Public Health
- Emergency Medicine
Background:
- Physician staffing in hospital emergency departments is crucial for patient care.
- The early 1990s saw evolving standards for emergency medicine specialization.
- Understanding current staffing levels provides a benchmark for future improvements.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the physician staffing landscape in Connecticut's hospital emergency departments.
- To determine the proportion of board-certified emergency physicians in these departments.
- To identify overall physician staffing shortages in emergency medicine.
Main Methods:
- A survey was conducted in mid-1989.
- The survey included 36 hospital emergency departments across Connecticut.
- Data collected focused on physician staffing, patient volume, and patient acuity.
Main Results:
- Only 31% of emergency department physicians in Connecticut were board-certified in emergency medicine.
- Approximately 20% of all statewide emergency department physician positions were unfilled.
- The survey revealed a general deficiency in emergency department physician staffing.
Conclusions:
- Connecticut faced a notable shortage of board-certified emergency physicians in 1989.
- The findings suggest potential challenges in providing adequate emergency medical care due to staffing levels.
- The study's implications for graduate medical education in emergency medicine within Connecticut were discussed.
Abstract:
A survey conducted in mid-1989 of 36 Connecticut hospital emergency departments sought to determine the nature of physician staffing and the volume and the acuteness of patient problems. Overall, only 31% of emergency department staffing is provided by board certified emergency physicians in the state of Connecticut. In addition to emphasizing the lack of board certified emergency physicians available in the state, this survey also indicated a relative deficiency in emergency department physician staffing in general with approximately 20% of all positions currently unfilled statewide. The implications of these findings for graduate medical education in Connecticut are discussed.