Complexity and Challenges of Cross-Cover Care in Graduate Medical Education: A Qualitative Study

Cross-cover care (care for hospitalized patients when the primary team is absent) is a common graduate medical education responsibility; however, it may lead to increased preventable adverse events. Despite understanding the difficulties of cross-cover care, medical educators lack comprehensive knowledge of specific challenges that residents face and how they handle these challenges. This study explores the challenges residents experience when providing cross-cover care.

The authors conducted 60 semistructured, qualitative interviews with 20 internal medicine and surgery residents at a single academic institution between October 2021 and April 2022. Each resident participated in 3 interviews, 2 immediately after a shift. Working inductively, the authors generated codes for important themes. Study design and data collection were guided by interpretive description, a qualitative approach for health care research focused on experiences and perceptions to develop meaningful findings. To illustrate residents' workflow and aid in quality improvement efforts, the authors created a process map.

Seventeen cross-cover challenges were organized into 7 interrelated and overlapping themes: lack of baseline knowledge, inadequate or inaccurate information transfer from the primary team, unfamiliarity with cross-cover patients, high task volume leading to increased interruptions, ill-defined roles leading to unmet expectations from others, perceived decreased access to resources, and fatigue. The process map illustrates 4 cross-cover workflow components: information transfer from the primary team to the cross-cover team, direct handling of cross-cover tasks that are assigned by the primary team or that arise during the time of cross-cover, information transfer back to primary team and other care team members, and responsibilities that residents have overnight that are not directly related to cross-cover.

Residents face substantial challenges when providing cross-cover care, which have important implications for patient safety and resident well-being. The medical community should strive to develop educational and structural interventions to improve this process.