Understanding the role of Foundation doctors through a self-reported time-mapping pilot study

There is a reduction in Foundation trainee applications to speciality training and this is attributed to an administrative job role, with subsequent fears of burnout. This pilot study presents the findings of a real-time self-reporting tool to map a group of Foundation doctors' elective activities. Self-reporting is efficient, low cost to run and allows for repeated measures and scalability. It aimed to example how a time-map could be used by departments to address any work imbalances and improve both well-being and future workforce planning.

Foundation doctors', at a busy District General Hospital, were asked to contemporaneously report their work activities over an 'elective' day. Outcomes measures included the mean duration per task and the time of day these were performed.

Nine Foundation doctors' returned 26 timesheet days. Foundation doctors' time was split between direct patient tasks (18.2%, 106.8 min per day), indirect patient tasks (72.9%, 428.6 min per day) and personal or non-patient activities. Indirect tasks were the most frequent reason for Foundation doctors leaving late. No clinical experience was recorded at all and only an average of 4% (23.4 min per day) of a Foundation doctors' time was spent in theatre.

This particular cohort performed a high proportion of indirect tasks. These have been associated with burnout. Time-mapping is a low-cost, acceptable and seemingly scalable way to elucidate a clearer understanding of the type of activities Foundation doctors may perform. This methodology could be used to modernise the traditional Foundation doctor job description.