A Prospective Trial of an In-house Overnight Fellow Rotation in the Intensive Care Unit

BACKGROUND: Although previous studies in academic intensive care units (ICUs) have found no improvement in patient care outcomes with in-house overnight attending physician coverage compared with home call coverage, the effect of in-house supervision on trainee education and well-being is less clear. In addition, no studies have examined the effect of in-house coverage by fellow physicians overnight. OBJECTIVE: What is the impact of an in-house overnight critical care fellow on resident, fellow, and attending perception of patient safety, house staff education, and house staff well-being? METHODS: A prospective trial alternating 2-week periods of in-house overnight critical care fellow coverage with 2-week periods of home call coverage was performed in our tertiary medical ICU. Residents, fellows, and attendings were surveyed to evaluate perceptions of the night fellows’ impact on patient care, communication, supervision, educational experience, autonomy, well-being, and job satisfaction. RESULTS: Over the 6-month study period, surveys were sent to 83 residents, 22 fellows, and 23 attendings, with completion by 56 (67%), 22 (100%), and 16 (70%), respectively. Overall, 89% of residents, 68% of fellows, and 81% of attendings reported perceived improvements in patient care with an in-house fellow. The in-house fellow was also associated with improved well-being in 79% of residents and 73% of fellows, and 82% of residents felt that it positively impacted education. CONCLUSION: As compared with the traditional home call system, an in-house night critical care fellow can improve the perception of patient care, trainee well-being, and education in a tertiary ICU at an academic hospital.