Revised Working Practices To Combat Medical Malpractice
The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has proposed new working standards to reduce instances of medical errors caused by fatigue and poor supervision of medical residents. Research has prompted the ACGME, an accrediting body for more than 8,800 medical residency programs, to recommend that the medical residents work a maximum 80-hour week averaged over four weeks. In addition the ACGME recommends significant changes to resident training and increased levels of supervision for first year residents. The ACGME proposes a reduction in duty periods of first year residents to no more than 16 hours per day and stricter requirements for duty hour exceptions. Hospitals and medical facilities are also urged to put in place more stringent processes regarding the handover of patient care and alertness management and fatigue mitigation strategies. If approved, these new working standards will be adopted by July 2011.
