At the request of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce as part of an investigation into preventable medical errors, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) has issued a report recommending further restrictions regarding duty hours for resident physicians and other actions to reduce resident fatigue and ensure patient safety, according to an article published in the January issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology (JACR).
In 2003, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) set duty hour limits across all medical specialties nationally in order to promote safe patient care and resident well-being. The increasing acuity and intensity of medical care in teaching institutions and the scientific evidence of the negative effect of sleep deprivation on performance were cited as reasons for the new duty hour requirements.
"Compliance with the current Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education duty hour requirements is assessed by an anonymous annual resident survey in addition to periodic site visits," said Martha B. Mainiero, MD, lead author of the article. "When a survey indicates that a significant number of residents work beyond duty hour limits, the ACGME will perform an immediate site visit of the program as well as a focused review of the institution," said Mainiero. Data from resident surveys since the institution of the common duty hour requirements show that each year there are fewer residents who report working beyond duty hour limits.