Study: Physicians perform just as well with fewer training hours

New research published in BMJ supports reforms that cap residency work hours at 80 per week.   

The study found internist performance across three measures — patient mortality, readmissions and costs of care — did not change after 2006, when the first class of residents had been fully exposed to 2003 work-hour reforms for three years of residency. The 2003 reforms capped resident hours at 80 per week and shift length to 30 consecutive hours.

Using data from more than 485,000 hospital admissions, the researchers found no statistically significant differences in 30-day mortality, 30-day readmissions or inpatient spending across groups of physicians with and without exposure to the work-hour reforms.

This study helps address concerns that work-hour reforms leave physicians unprepared to practice after residency.

Read more here.

 

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