General surgery residents' views on work hours regulations.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Work Hour Regulations

Background:

• Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) work hours regulations have been mandatory for US residency programs since 2003.
• The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has proposed further restrictions on resident work hours.
• General surgery residents' perspectives on these regulations are crucial for evaluating their impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine General Surgery residents' views on current work hours regulations.
• To assess residents' opinions on proposed work hours changes by the IOM.
• To understand the discrepancies between reported and actual work hours among surgical residents.

Main Methods:

• An anonymous, multiple-choice survey was distributed to US General Surgery residency program directors in 2009.
• Responses were collected via an online survey program.
• Data were statistically analyzed in aggregate and by junior and senior resident groups.

Main Results:

• 25% of general surgery residents underreported work hours, with significant differences between junior (22%) and senior (27%) residents.
• 16% of residents were instructed to inaccurately report hours, and 8% advised others to do so.
• Junior residents (34%) favored stricter regulations more than senior residents (17%); 52% underreported hours for patient care or surgery.
• A majority (76%) aware of IOM recommendations believed they would negatively impact surgical training.

Conclusions:

• US General Surgery residents do not consistently record work hours accurately.
• A significant number of residents underreport hours, often to provide necessary patient care or perform surgeries.
• Most surgical residents perceive further work hour restrictions as detrimental to their training, suggesting current rules may necessitate underreporting for essential activities.