Abstract
Background In academic hospitals, housestaff (interns, residents, and fellows) are a core user
group of clinical information technology (IT) systems, yet are often relegated to
being recipients of change, rather than active partners in system improvement. These
information systems are an integral part of health care delivery and formal efforts
to involve and educate housestaff are nascent.
Objective This article develops a sustainable forum for effective engagement of housestaff
in hospital informatics initiatives and creates opportunities for professional development.
Methods A housestaff-led IT council was created within an academic medical center and integrated
with informatics and graduate medical education leadership. The Council was designed
to provide a venue for hands-on clinical informatics educational experiences to housestaff
across all specialties.
Results In the first year, five housestaff co-chairs and 50 members were recruited. More
than 15 projects were completed with substantial improvements made to clinical systems
impacting more than 1,300 housestaff and with touchpoints to nearly 3,000 staff members.
Council leadership was integrally involved in hospital governance committees and became
the go-to source for housestaff input on informatics efforts. Positive experiences
informed members' career development toward informatics roles. Key lessons learned
in building for success are discussed.
Conclusion The council model has effectively engaged housestaff as learners, local champions,
and key informatics collaborators, with positive impact for the participating members
and the institution. Requiring few resources for implementation, the model should
be replicable at other institutions.
Keywords
stakeholder engagement - graduate medical education - quality improvement - program
evaluation
