Medical Errors May Result from Shorter Shifts
Doctors in residency – medical students who are in training at hospitals – typically work 16-hour shifts. However, just four years ago, they regularly worked for up to 30 consecutive hours. Regulators mandated this reduction in residents’ hours in 2011 in order to try to curb the number of medical errors occurring in hospitals. The idea was that residents who were working 30-hour shifts must have been tired and overworked, and their fatigue must have been contributing to the large number of medical errors that occur every year.
However, two studies from leading medical schools have shown that the regulators’ mandate has actually had the opposite of its intended effect. By reducing the length of residents’ shifts, the new regulations actually caused an increase in the number of medical errors. In fact, the studies – conducted by the University of Michigan Medical School and Johns Hopkins University – showed that residents working shorter shifts were 15 to 20 percent more likely to make an error that harmed a patient.
How are Shorter Shifts Causing More Medical Errors?
The studies linked the increase in medical errors to a number of different factors associated with residents working shorter shifts. Overall, they found – and doctors and nurses agreed – that patients received a better quality of care under the 30-hour model.
So, how do shorter shifts lead to more medical errors? According to the studies:
- Teaching hospitals are not investing in additional staff.
This means that the same number of doctors, nurses, and interns are simply being asked to do the same amount of work in a significantly shorter period of time.
- Hospitals are not providing the training and supervision necessary to adapt to the changed scheduling.
Even though they are being asked to maintain their workloads while putting in less time, residents are not receiving the training and supervision necessary to become more efficient and avoid mistakes.
- Residents are receiving less training and supervision overall.
If residents are spending less time in the hospital, it stands to reason that they are receiving less training and supervision, which is leading to more mistakes.
- The increase in patient “handoffs” creates a greater risk of mistakes.
“Handoff” is the term used to describe the transition of a patient’s care from one doctor to another. With residents working shorter shifts, patients experience more handoffs. Handoffs (which one of the studies’ authors called “a highly complex science”) are known to carry a number of patient risks, and these risks multiply with more handoffs.
- Residents are Sleeping Less and Getting More Depressed.
The studies also indicate that residents who work shorter shifts sleep less and experience higher rates of depression. This is due in large part to the fact that they are being pushed to do the same amount of work in roughly half of the time. The stress from being pushed in a job that is already physically and mentally demanding is having negative consequences for residents and patients alike.
Why Did Regulators Mandate Shorter Shifts?
While most workplace hours are subject to federal regulations, medical residency programs are subject to guidelines established by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The ACGME was responsible for implementing the shorter shifts in 2011. According to one of the studies’ authors, the ACGME’s decision to switch to the new 16-hour shift rule simply was not based on sound data. While the justification made sense in theory, it wasn’t supported by the knowledge that was available. Sadly, this mistake is leading more residents to make more mistakes – and is putting more patients in harm’s way.
What Can You Do if You Experience a Medical Error?
If you experience a medical error, you should seek both medical and legal help right away. While it can be difficult to trust one doctor after another has just made a mistake, seeking medical help is crucial to your health and your claim for financial compensation. At Jodat Law Group, our attorneys can refer you to a doctor who can help you. We will handle your case from start to finish, and we will even come visit you in the hospital so that you don’t have to come to our offices for your free consultation.
Contact Jodat Law Group about Your Medical Error Today
To get started on the road to recovery, we encourage you to contact us right away. Medical errors are costly, and you need to make sure you receive the care and financial compensation you deserve. Jodat Law Group provides compassionate and experienced representation for victims of medical errors throughout the Tampa, FL area, so give us a call at 877 JODAT LAW or contact us online to speak with an attorney today.
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