Objectives This study aimed to explore the use of medical dramas to train observers when in-person observations or patient contact in clinical settings is impossible. The study also assessed the media’s portrayal of the medical profession and compared time use patterns in medical dramas to previous hospital observational studies.

Design Activity-pattern observational study using Work Observation by Activity Timing software.

Setting The hospital, ICU, and community settings of medical television shows.

Participants The first and last season of the main cast of three medical dramas; Grey’s Anatomy, Scrubs, and ER.

Main outcome measures Inter-rater reliability scores were used to assess how well medical dramas can be used as a training tool for observers. Proportions of time spent on daily medical tasks were compared to other in-person hospital studies.

Results Grey’s Anatomy and Scrubs had excellent Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC) scores for a general medical setting, with Grey’s Anatomy ICC scores for Season 1 0.99 (0.97 to 1.0), and Season 16 0.98 (0.90 to 1.0) and Scrubs ICC scores of 0.91 (0.65 to 0.98) for Season 1 and 0.91 (0.55, 0.99) for Season 8. In contrast, ER had an acceptable ICC score of 0.89 (0.59 to 0.98) for Season 1 and 0.81 (0.35 to 0.96) for Season 15 and might be more suitable for studies exploring activity patterns in the Emergency Department. All had p-values of <0.001.

Conclusions Medical dramas can serve as training tools when clinical observation is limited or impossible, and our methods reflect these shows’ ease of use and flexibility. Additionally, medical dramas can be selected for their similarity to in-person studies. Still, one should be mindful that inaccuracies in the representation of clinical activity patterns are present. However, using medical dramas to train research staff in direct observation is a feasible and reliable method.

The authors have declared no competing interest.

KCJ and SSJ were supported by a HIRe Fellowship from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U01CK000673). ETL was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (R35GM147013).

I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.

Yes

The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below:

This research was determined not to constitute human subjects research by the Washington State University Institutional Review Board.

I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals.

Yes

I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance).

Yes

I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable.

Yes

All data produced in the present study are available upon reasonable request to the authors.