July Effect

There may not be a GOOD time to go to the hospital – but there is a WORST...

If you need to go to the hospital – try to do that in June or August. It turns out July is the worst month to go, especially in teaching hospitals. In the hospital world, it’s called the July Effect. That’s when recent grads start their new jobs – and most experienced doctors and medical personnel take their vacations. July is the month when the most mistakes happen and prescription errors see a spike.

The good news is – if you need surgery in July, the July Effect doesn’t really apply. Those new graduates aren’t likely to be wielding that scalpel on their own just yet.

Source: Journal of General Internal Medicine