Limits on Resident Work Hours

US public opinion regarding proposed limits on resident physician work hours

BACKGROUND In both Europe and the US, resident physician work hour reduction has been a source of controversy within academic medicine. In 2008, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommended a reduction in resident physician work hours. We sought to assess the American public perspective on this issue. METHODS We conducted a national survey of 1,200 representative members of the public via rand...

Selected Articles on Resident and Physician Work Hours

AOA should support IOM report on resident work hours.

To the Editor: In December 2008, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report, Resident Duty Hours: Enhancing Sleep, Supervision, and Safety,1 calling for changes in resident training programs to reduce fatigue-related medical errors and to protect patients. Shortly after the IOM released its report, the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) weighed in on the report’s findings—with a pres...

Trainee fatigue: are new limits on work hours enough?

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education's limits on residents' work hours and patient safety. A study of resident experiences and perceptions before and after hours reductions.

BACKGROUND Limiting resident work hours may improve patient safety, but unintended adverse effects are also possible. We sought to assess the impact of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education resident work hour limits implemented on July 1, 2003, on resident experiences and perceptions regarding patient safety. METHODS All trainees in 76 accredited programs at 2 teaching hospital...