Good Samaritan Laws and Graduate Medical Education: A Tristate Survey

To assess the awareness of Good Samaritan laws among residents and fellows and the factors affecting the likelihood of a physician-in-training performing a Good Samaritan act.

A survey was distributed via official e-mail to Mayo Clinic residents and fellows at Mayo Clinic's 3 locations: Rochester, Minnesota; Scottsdale, Arizona; and Jacksonville, Florida. The survey was open from August 4 to 25, 2015, at the Arizona and Florida sites and from August 10 to 31, 2015, at the Minnesota site. Responses were collected anonymously and analyzed, using descriptive statistics and regression models.

The survey was sent to 1591 trainees and 19.7% (313) responded. Nearly half the respondents (49%) experienced a medical emergency that required assistance by a medically trained person and reported that increased medicolegal knowledge would increase their likelihood of helping (47%). Almost all (93.6%) felt that awareness of the Good Samaritan laws was essential for a medical professional and reported a need for further education to increase their knowledge (89.3%).

Residents and fellows asked for education about Good Samaritan laws and suggested that such education may increase their likelihood of helping in medical emergencies.