Authors: Landrigan, Christopher P.; Czeisler, Charles A.; Barger, Laura K.; Ayas, Najib T.; Rothschild, Jeffrey M.; Lockley, Steven W.; The Harvard Work Hours Health and Safety Group,

Source: Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, Volume 33, Supplement 1, November 2007 , pp. 19-29(11)

Publisher: Joint Commission Resources

Abstract:

Background: Sleep deprivation, ubiquitous among nurses and physicians, recently has been shown to greatly increase rates of serious medical errors and occupational injuries among health care workers in the United States.

Current Initiatives and Policies: The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education's current work-hour limits for physicians-in-training allow work hours well in excess of those proven safe. No regulations limit the work hours of other groups of health care providers in the United States. Consequently, nursing work shifts exceeding 12 hours remain common. Physician-in-training shifts of 30 consecutive hours continue to be endorsed officially, and data demonstrate that even the 30-hour limit is exceeded routinely. By contrast, European health care workers are limited by law to 13 consecutive hours of work and to 48-56 hours of work per week. Except for a few institutions that have eliminated 24-hour shifts, as a whole, the United States lags far behind other industrialized nations in ensuring safe work hours.

Conclusions: Preventing health care provider sleep deprivation could be an extremely powerful means of addressing the epidemic of medical errors in the United States. Implementation of evidence-based work-hour limits, scientifically designed work schedules, and infrastructural changes, such as the development of standardized handoff systems, are urgently needed.

Document Type: Research article

Publication date: 2007-11-01

More about this publication?

• Published monthly, The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety is a peer-reviewed publication dedicated to providing health professionals with the information they need to promote the quality and safety of health care. The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety invites original manuscripts on the development, adaptation, and/or implementation of innovative thinking, strategies, and practices in improving quality and safety in health care. Case studies, program or project reports, reports of new methodologies or new applications of methodologies, research studies on the effectiveness of improvement interventions, and commentaries on issues and practices are all considered.
  
  Also known as Joint Commission Journal on Quality Improvement and Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Safety
• Editorial Board
• Information for Authors
• Subscribe to this Title
• Information for Advertisers
• Reprints and Permissions
• Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety - Author Index
• ingentaconnect is not responsible for the content or availability of external websites

Related content

• In this: publication
• By this: publisher
• In this Subject: Medicine ,  Public Health
• By this author: Landrigan, Christopher P. ;  Czeisler, Charles A. ;  Barger, Laura K. ;  Ayas, Najib T. ;  Rothschild, Jeffrey M. ;  Lockley, Steven W. ;  The Harvard Work Hours Health and Safety Group,

Website © Publishing Technology. Article copyright remains with the publisher, society or author(s) as specified within the article.

• Terms and conditions
• Privacy policy
• Information for advertisers