A Simple Practice May Make Doctors Better

A new study suggests a simple way for doctors to improve the success rate of clinical procedures: They should "warm up" ahead of time, similar to how an athlete preps before a game or a singer before a concert. In a New York Times essay, three Harvard Medical School doctors explain that they tested the premise with trainees who were about to perform the delicate procedure of infant intubation. One group followed the usual routine: They performed the procedure under the supervision of an experienced clinician. The second group did the same, but they also received "targeted coaching" shortly before the procedure and spent 5 to 10 minutes practicing on a manikin.

"Our findings were striking," the doctors write. "Coaching inexperienced clinicians within an hour of intubating an infant significantly improved success rates." Specifically, the "coached" group placed the breathing tube on the first try about 91% of the time, compared to about 82% for the control group. The doctors suggest such warm-ups could help veteran doctors as well, with the time required negligible. "If coaches in sports and music can find time to fine-tune their teams and performers, surely the same is possible in medicine," they write. (Read the full essay.)