The original report suggested requiring surgeons by law to disclose their condition to patients, who could then decide whether to reschedule the surgery or choose a different physician. The American College of Cardiology said mandating that kind of disclosure could invite more malpractice suits and usurp a physician’s professional judgment about whether he or she can operate safely, according to the report.
Recently the consumer-advocacy group Public Citizen and two other organizations have asked the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration to enforce stricter work shift limitations for medical residents. The change would decrease the allowed number of work hours from 20 hours to 16 hours. H. Hunt Batjer, MD, former chair of the American Board of Neurological Surgery, criticized the move, saying the path to becoming a neurosurgeon is a “365-day-a-year, 24/7 career choice.”
Read the Heart report on physician response to sleep deprivation disclosure.
Read more on physician sleep deprivation:
–Editorial Urges Tired Physicians to Warn Patients of Sleep Deprivation Before Surgery
–Medical Education Council Limits First Year Resident Shifts to 16 Hours
