Internal Medicine Residents' Perspectives on Effects of 2011 ACGME Work Hour Regulations on Patient Care

Background: The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) introduced new work hour limitations in July 2011. Purposes: The aim is to assess internal medicine residents' perspectives on the impact of these limitations on their ability to discharge patient care duties. Methods: An anonymous survey was administered to 158 medicine residents in an urban university-affiliated internal medicine residency program. Residents' perspectives on various aspects of patient care were recorded on a 5-point Likert-type scale. Results: The response rate was 62%. The majority of residents (80%) agreed that patients had adequate continuity of care. Most residents agreed that they had enough time to follow up on consult notes (64% agreed) and investigations (80% agreed) daily. Most PGY-1 residents (59%) reported having enough time to prepare sign-outs. Most (60%) residents felt that reducing handoffs would improve patient care. Conclusions: Most residents believe that the new work hour limitations would continue to uphold patient safety, but handoffs in care must be restricted. © 2014