The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education has strict requirements for maximum workloads for medical residents, but a study published in Archives of Surgery suggests the physicians-in-training often break these rules, which could pose patient safety risks and deter optimal medical training, according to a Reuters news report.
According to the ACGME, medical residents should work no more than 80 hours a week, take 10-hour breaks between work shifts and take off one day each week. However, the study's results showed more than one-third of 144 residents did not take long enough breaks between shifts. Further, one in five residents was found to work more than 90 hours a week, according to the report.
The main cause for overworking is often due to emergency care, with subspecialties like trauma and vascular surgery being more prone to overtime. Celia Divino, MD, the lead researcher in the study and chief of general surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, said physician extenders, such as physician assistants and nurse practitioners, can help medical residents stay more aligned with ACGME requirements.
Read the news report about resident workloads.
Read other coverage about patient safety:
- Drugmakers, Device Makers Want Harsher Penalties for Theft
- Study: Shared Decision-Making Leads to Better Results in Elective Treatments
- Proposed Legislation Seeks to Penalize Hospitals That Repeatedly Violate Hospital Staffing Law
According to the ACGME, medical residents should work no more than 80 hours a week, take 10-hour breaks between work shifts and take off one day each week. However, the study's results showed more than one-third of 144 residents did not take long enough breaks between shifts. Further, one in five residents was found to work more than 90 hours a week, according to the report.
The main cause for overworking is often due to emergency care, with subspecialties like trauma and vascular surgery being more prone to overtime. Celia Divino, MD, the lead researcher in the study and chief of general surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, said physician extenders, such as physician assistants and nurse practitioners, can help medical residents stay more aligned with ACGME requirements.
Read the news report about resident workloads.
Read other coverage about patient safety:
- Drugmakers, Device Makers Want Harsher Penalties for Theft
- Study: Shared Decision-Making Leads to Better Results in Elective Treatments
- Proposed Legislation Seeks to Penalize Hospitals That Repeatedly Violate Hospital Staffing Law