Medical Students Applaud Action to Enforce Resident Physician Work Hour Reform in Pa., Del.; Patient, Physician Safety Top Priorities

6/13/2003

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

RESTON, Va., June 13 -- With the full support of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA), Senator Michael Stack (D) introduced the "Medical Resident and Patient Safety Act" of 2003, S.775, in the Pennsylvania State Senate, limiting work schedules of physicians-in-training 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. The Pennsylvania legislation joins Delaware in proposing guidelines limiting work hours to 80 hours per week and 24 hours per shift.

Should the bills become law, Pennsylvania and 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 to go into effect July 1, the guidelines lack provisions for public disclosure, as well as whistleblower protections for residents who report violations. In addition, ACGME guidelines allow for averaging of hours over four weeks and exemptions from the limits for individual programs. "Legislation is necessary to enforce work hour limits and to provide specific mechanisms that will protect the resident physicians who file complaints about work hour violations. State regulations may be the quickest way to ensure that patients across the country 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 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.