title: Hospital physicians perform five types of work duties in Japan: an observational study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Physicians are expected to perform three unique roles as a clinician, educator, and researcher in university hospitals. However, the actual practices of physicians performing different duties are relatively unknown. Therefore, the authors conducted an observational study at a university hospital to examine physicians' work activities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 2011 and 2013, ten observers shadowed 20 physicians from different specialties for a day at the Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital. Observers recorded physicians' activities every 30 seconds that were subsequently categorized into work types. The number of work types and activity changes performed by a physician in one observational period were counted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Authors categorized physicians' work activities into five groups: patient care (direct and indirect), education, research, professional development, and administration. All physicians performed at least one type of activity in addition to patient care. Activity change occurred 1.86 times per hour, on average. The median time-distribution of 20 physicians was 173.8 minutes, 213.8 minutes, 3.3 minutes, 5.0 minutes, 0 minutes, and 0.8 minutes for direct patient care, indirect patient care, education, research, professional development, and administration, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Japanese hospital physicians performed multiple work duties including professional development and administrative activities in addition to triple duties.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene and Public Health 1, School of Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan. michiko@research.twmu.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Michiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nohara
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
authors.forename: Norihiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Kosuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okutsu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D008875:Middle Aged; D010819:Physician's Role; D014041:Tokyo