Medical Students Applaud Action to Enforce Limitation of Resident Physician Work Hours in Delaware

6/6/2003

From: Braden J. Hexom of the American Medical Student Association, 703-620-6600, ext. 211 e-mail: lad@www.amsa.org web: http://www.amsa.org

RESTON, Va., June 6 -- With the full support of the members of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA), Sen. James Vaughn (D) introduced to the Delaware State Senate yesterday the "Hospital Patient Protection Act" of 2003, S.133, which limits resident physicians' work schedules to 80 hours per week. Through its activism and lobbying efforts, AMSA's membership has brought national attention to the difficulties and dangers of requiring young doctors to work 36 hour shifts and as many as 120 hours a week. S. 133 proposes guidelines limiting work hours to 80 hours per week and 24 consecutive hours per shift.

Should the bill become law, Delaware would join New York as the only states to mandate resident work hours. Puerto Rico also recently joined New York in providing regulations for work hour limits.

While the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has proposed work hour standards that will go into effect July 1, 2003, their new guidelines lack independent oversight and enforcement, as well as whistleblower protections for residents who report suspected violations. In addition, ACGME guidelines allow for averaging of the 80 hour work week over four weeks, and permit exemption for individual residency programs from the 80 hour limit.

"Legislation is necessary to enforce work hour limits and to provide whistleblower protections for resident physicians who file complaints about work hour violations. State regulations may be the most immediate way to ensure that patients are publicly informed about their safety in teaching hospitals," said Dr. Lauren Oshman, national president of the American Medical Student Association.

Research has shown that more than 24 hours of wakefulness leads to a deterioration of cognitive function equivalent to the effects of having a blood alcohol level of 0.1 percent.

The American Medical Student Association is an independent, student-governed, national organization representing the concerns of physicians-in-training. With a membership of over 40,000 medical students, interns, and residents from across the country, AMSA is committed to improving medical training as well as the nation's health. The most comprehensive website on the resident work hour issue is available at http://www.amsa.org/hp/reswork.cfm. AMSA can provide assistance in reaching resident physicians willing to comment on this issue.