[Conducting ward rounds: a balance between care and teaching]

Area of Science:

• Clinical Medicine
• Medical Education
• Healthcare Management

Context:

• Ward rounds are a daily, core clinical activity in hospitals.
• They involve patient interaction, information synthesis, and decision-making.
• Rounds also serve as critical teaching opportunities for trainees under attending physician supervision.

Purpose:

• To summarize the limited existing literature on ward rounds.
• To present findings based on the perspectives of different stakeholders: trainees, trainers, patients, and nurses.
• To emphasize the unique dynamics of educational ward rounds.

Summary:

• This paper synthesizes key research on ward rounds, a fundamental aspect of hospital care.
• Findings are categorized by stakeholder: resident, trainer, patient, and nurse.
• Special attention is given to rounds involving both trainees and trainers, highlighting the need to balance patient care with educational objectives.

Impact:

• Provides a consolidated overview of ward round research, addressing a gap in the literature.
• Offers insights into optimizing ward rounds for effective patient care and medical training.
• Informs best practices for interprofessional collaboration and education within the hospital setting.