Depression linked to errors

Depressed doctors-in-training made six times as many medication mistakes as their fellow physicians, according to a Harvard study that also found that burnout did not make a difference.

Researchers found that one-fifth of the doctors in two pediatric residency programs were depressed, nearly twice the national average for the general population. Just under three-quarters of the residents fit the criteria for burnout, defined as feeling emotionally exhausted and depersonalized at work.

"Depression seems to be a hidden pitfall of residency," said Dr. Amy Fahrenkopf, lead author of the British Medical Journal article and pediatrician at Harvard Medical School and Children's Hospital Boston. "That is not only a danger for residents but it appears to be a danger for their patients as well."

ELIZABETH COONEY

Harvard has taken the first step toward shifting its international medical subsidiary to hospital group Partners HealthCare, the university said. Harvard Medical International, which has brought medical education and health system consulting to 50 programs around the world, will become Partners Harvard Medical International under a preliminary agreement signed by Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, and Partners.

Partners, the parent company of Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham & Women's Hospital, and other Harvard-affiliated hospitals, would take on the business operations and management of the organization. HMI's current staff would remain in place to oversee such ongoing projects as the Dubai Healthcare City in the United Arab Emirates, according to the memorandum of understanding.

ELIZABETH COONEY

Mayor Thomas M. Menino quietly convened a summit last week of high-powered medical players to examine what ails primary care in Boston. The summit was prompted by the impending arrival of health clinics inside CVS Corp. pharmacies, a move that Menino has opposed.

"We came together not just to talk about a problem that we all know has existed for some time," Menino said in a written statement after the meeting, "we came together in the spirit of creating a thoughtful and coordinated action plan to reduce barriers that limit access to important medical services."

Over the next three months, the 40 or so people who attended the meeting will draft recommendations - both short term and long term - designed to reduce waiting times for appointments and expand access to urgent-care services.

STEPHEN SMITH

Tufts University School of Medicine students will soon have the option of spending a big chunk of their training at Maine Medical Center, a 600-bed hospital in Portland.

The goal is to address the looming shortage of doctors, particularly in rural areas, Vincent S. Conti, president and CEO of Maine Medical, said. "The overall objective is that graduates would be attracted to come back to Maine for residency, and having done that would more likely want to stay in a rural setting."

The Tufts Maine Track curriculum will focus on issues important in rural and small-town practices, where physicians have fewer resources compared with urban centers. A team approach relying on nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, and physical therapists will be emphasized, Conti said.

ELIZABETH COONEY