• E-mail
• Print
• RSS

ACGME duty hour rules compromise neurosurgery resident training, study says

Residency Program Connection, May 12, 2009

Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Residency Program Connection!

A new survey of neurosurgery program directors and chief residents sheds light on the impact of the 80-hour work week on neurosurgery resident training. The survey revealed that 95% of program directors and 84% of chief residents believe additional work-hour restrictions would jeopardize patient care.

One hundred and ten program directors and 122 chief residents answered questions about how the 80-hour week affected resident training, surgical experience, patient safety, and patient access to quality care. The survey found:

• 96% said the 80-hour work week compromised resident training
• 98% said the 80-hour week decreased resident surgical experience
• 96% of program directors and 78% of chief residents believe the 80-hour workweek threatened patient safety
• 82% of program directors and 87% of chief residents said the 80-hour week threatened patient access to quality care

The neurosurgery community also voiced concerns about further restrictions on resident work hours, as proposed by the Institute of Medicine’s report on resident work hours, released in Dec. 2008.

The “Impact of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education work-hour regulations on neurosurgical resident education and productivity”, was published in this month’s Journal of Neurosurgery.

Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Residency Program Connection!

• E-mail to a Colleague
• Print
• RSS
• Archive