TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of the 16-hour work limit on general surgery intern operative case volume
T2 - A multi-institutional study
AU - Schwartz, Samuel I.
AU - Galante, Joseph
AU - Kaji, Amy
AU - Dolich, Matthew
AU - Easter, David
AU - Melcher, Marc L.
AU - Patel, Kevin
AU - Reeves, Mark E.
AU - Salim, Ali
AU - Senagore, Anthony J.
AU - Takanishi, Danny M.
AU - De Virgilio, Christian
PY - 2013/9
Y1 - 2013/9
N2 - IMPORTANCE: The 80-hour work-week limit for all residents was instituted in 2003 and studies looking at its effect have been mixed. Since the advent of the 16-hour mandate for postgraduate year 1 residents in July 2011, no data have been published regarding the effect of this additional work-hour restriction. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the 16-hour intern work limit, implemented in July 2011, has adversely affected operative experience. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A retrospective review of categorical postgraduate year 1 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education case logs from the intern class (N = 52) (with 16-hour work limit) compared with the 4 preceding years (2007-2010; N = 197) (without 16-hour work limit). A total of 249 categorical general surgery interns from 10 general surgery residency programs in the western United States were included. MAINOUTCOMESAND MEASURES: Total, major, first-assistant, and defined-category case totals. RESULTS: As compared with the preceding 4 years, the 2011-2012 interns recorded a 25.8% decrease in total operative cases (65.9 vs 88.8, P =.005), a 31.8% decrease in major cases (54.9 vs 80.5, P <.001), and a 46.3% decrease in first-assistant cases (11.1 vs 20.7, P =.008). There were statistically significant decreases in cases within the defined categories of abdomen, endocrine, head and neck, basic laparoscopy, complex laparoscopy, pediatrics, thoracic, and soft tissue/breast surgery in the 16-hour shift intern era, whereas there was no decrease in trauma, vascular, alimentary, endoscopy, liver, and pancreas cases. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The 16-hour work limit for interns, implemented in July 2011, is associated with a significant decrease in categorical intern operative experience. If the 16-hour shift were to be extended to all postgraduate year levels, one can anticipate that additional years of training will be needed to maintain the same operative volume.
AB - IMPORTANCE: The 80-hour work-week limit for all residents was instituted in 2003 and studies looking at its effect have been mixed. Since the advent of the 16-hour mandate for postgraduate year 1 residents in July 2011, no data have been published regarding the effect of this additional work-hour restriction. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the 16-hour intern work limit, implemented in July 2011, has adversely affected operative experience. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A retrospective review of categorical postgraduate year 1 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education case logs from the intern class (N = 52) (with 16-hour work limit) compared with the 4 preceding years (2007-2010; N = 197) (without 16-hour work limit). A total of 249 categorical general surgery interns from 10 general surgery residency programs in the western United States were included. MAINOUTCOMESAND MEASURES: Total, major, first-assistant, and defined-category case totals. RESULTS: As compared with the preceding 4 years, the 2011-2012 interns recorded a 25.8% decrease in total operative cases (65.9 vs 88.8, P =.005), a 31.8% decrease in major cases (54.9 vs 80.5, P <.001), and a 46.3% decrease in first-assistant cases (11.1 vs 20.7, P =.008). There were statistically significant decreases in cases within the defined categories of abdomen, endocrine, head and neck, basic laparoscopy, complex laparoscopy, pediatrics, thoracic, and soft tissue/breast surgery in the 16-hour shift intern era, whereas there was no decrease in trauma, vascular, alimentary, endoscopy, liver, and pancreas cases. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The 16-hour work limit for interns, implemented in July 2011, is associated with a significant decrease in categorical intern operative experience. If the 16-hour shift were to be extended to all postgraduate year levels, one can anticipate that additional years of training will be needed to maintain the same operative volume.
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U2 - 10.1001/jamasurg.2013.2677
DO - 10.1001/jamasurg.2013.2677
M3 - Article
C2 - 23843028
AN - SCOPUS:84884600031
SN - 2168-6254
VL - 148
SP - 829
EP - 833
JO - JAMA Surgery
JF - JAMA Surgery
IS - 9
ER -