More Evaluation Needed for Work Hour Regulations

STERLING, Va. - March 27, 2013 - PRLog -- The American Medical Student Association (AMSA), the nation’s oldest and largest, independent association for physicians-in-training, continues to support enhanced resident work hour regulations in light of a study in today’s Journal of the American Medical Association, “Effects of the 2011 Duty Hour Reforms on Interns and Their Patients.”

The study found that although interns are working fewer hours under the new restrictions adopted by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) in 2011, there has been an unanticipated increase in self-reported medical errors and no significant changes in hours slept or  depressive symptoms by interns.

“AMSA applauds efforts to gather information and data to inform resident work hour policies and advance patient safety,” says Dr. Elizabeth Wiley, AMSA national president. “However, it is important to recognize the limitations of this study.  It certainly raises important questions about how best to approach reducing medical errors through resident work hour restrictions but further evaluation is absolutely necessary. We embrace an evidence-based, data-driven approach to preventing unnecessary medical errors.”

Dr. Aliye Runyan, AMSA Education and Research Fellow, says, “The current regulations placed upon medical residents have undeniably improved working conditions for many, but there is far more work to be done to improve patient safety. Resident duty hour restrictions are only one piece of the puzzle. Integrated efforts by medical schools and teaching hospitals to address issues such as emotional burnout, better handoff techniques, interprofessional education and communication styles are necessary to further a safe environment for both physicians and patients alike.”

In 2008, the Institute of Medicine issued its seminal report on resident work hours, Resident Duty Hours: Enhancing Sleep, Supervision and Safety (http://iom.edu/Reports/2008/Resident-Duty-Hours-Enhancing...). This report served as the basis for the new ACGME restrictions implemented in 2011, although the ACGME declined to fully adopt the report’s recommendations.

AMSA continues to urge the ACGME as well as OSHA and Congress to take steps to further regulate resident duty hours and protect patients. AMSA would like to see the 16-hour shift applied to all residents, not just first-year interns.

About the American Medical Student Association
AMSA is the oldest and largest independent association of physicians-in-training in the United States. Founded in 1950, AMSA is a student-governed, non-profit organization committed to representing the concerns of physicians-in-training. To learn more about AMSA, our strategic priorities, or joining the organization, please visit us online at http://www.amsa.org/AMSA/Homepage.aspx,