Residents' perspectives on ACGME regulation of supervision and duty hours—a national survey.
In June 2010, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education proposed new regulations on housestaff duty hours. After an open comment period, the regulations were accepted in September with the new requirements to take effect July 1, 2011. While the updated rules preserve an 80-hour workweek limit, new mandates require no more than 16 hours of continuous work with in-house supervision at all times. Responses to these changes have been mixed, including from this study, which surveyed a nationwide sample of residents. Whereas residents felt the new regulations would improve their own quality of life and well-being, many believe that the changes will have negative effects on quality of care, patient safety, their own education, and their preparation for more senior roles. The authors advocate for resident concerns to be considered in implementation of the new standards.