Establishing the Patient Task Facilitator Program: Redefining the Shadower Role

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Emergency Medicine
• Patient Experience

Background:

• Physician shadowing provides insight into clinical practice but can be challenging in productive Emergency Departments.
• Student impact on patient care and workflow during shadowing is not well understood.
• Novel programs are needed to effectively incorporate students into healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a longitudinal educational program integrating students into Emergency Department care.
• To enhance the patient experience through direct student involvement.
• To improve faculty workflow and physician productivity by leveraging student support.

Main Methods:

• Implemented a Patient Task Facilitator program with physician mentorship and direct patient-facing activities.
• Students acted as patient concierges, reachable by phone for non-medical needs.
• Program modifications were made based on semi-annual feedback from participants.

Main Results:

• The program, active since 2019, involved 42 students and 8 physicians, with high satisfaction reported by both groups.
• 74% of students expressed intent to pursue medical careers.
• Faculty reported improved productivity, patient satisfaction, and nursing availability, with positive patient feedback on Press Ganey surveys.

Conclusions:

• The Patient Task Facilitator program successfully improved student and faculty satisfaction with the shadowing experience.
• The program demonstrated benefits in attending physician productivity, nursing availability, and overall patient satisfaction.