Report critical of medical residents’ long hours

In spite of regulations approved five years ago to cap the working hours of medical residents, young doctors are still exhausted, a new study found (Source: “Medical residents still working too many hours,” Columbus Dispatch, Dec. 3, 2008).

Citing studies that connect decreased patient safety and long hours worked by residents, the Institute of Medicine report included a number of recommendations designed to ease the workload  on young doctors.

The recommendations were applauded in an editorial yesterday in the Akron Beacon Journal (Source: "Sleepless in the Hospital,” Akron Beacon-Journal, Dec. 4, 2008). However, the paper was critical of the report for not providing a formal funding plan for implemention.

“As far as they go, the recommended changes are necessary and reasonable and should be
reassuring,” the newspaper wrote. “The problem? Follow-through. The report was silent on how to or who would pay the estimated $1.7 billion a year it would take to cover the cost of more days off, nap time and other changes.”