Interns More Likely To Work Long Hours

"The public fully expects that every patient should have an awake, alert, and competent physician at all times," write the ACGME's David Leach, MD, and colleagues in a journal editorial. However interns worked at least 66 hours on an average down from 70 hours per week before the rules came into effect.

Another study in the same journal found that interns who worked long into the night were more likely to cut themselves or stick needles into themselves. "Likewise, high-quality patient care is impossible without high-quality learning," the editors said. "Attention to both is needed."

Source: Medindia
RAS