Immersion Day — Transforming Governance and Policy by Putting on Scrubs

Building Trust Between the Government and Clinicians

“…The benefits of such exposure can already be seen in immersion programs that some hospitals have created in which board members accompany physicians as they provide care. The board members wore scrubs and spent hours on medical units, witnessing surgery, making the rounds in intensive care units and emergency departments, or shadowing primary care physicians, gaining a better understanding of what life is like for clinicians . To ensure privacy and confidentiality, any individuals not directly involved in the treatment of the patient should (1) have a nametag with his or her name and role; (2) prior to their seeing a patient, a staff person should ask each patient: “Would it be okay if Mr X, a member of our health system board, accompany Dr Y in his visit with you?”; and (3) have each individual sign legal acknowledgement of his or her obligation to keep anything related to patients confidential.…”