Doctors throughout Pittsburgh are known for many things including the long hours they put in. This is despite the long held notion that medical errors are more likely when someone is exhausted after working for an extended period of time. Due to this line of thinking, in 2011 the length of some residents' shifts was decreased to 16 hours from 30. Recently, two reports indicate that change may actually be doing more harm than good.

The studies, which are being published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that residents working shorter shifts actually led to an increase in the number of medical errors committed. The increase is significant, between 15 and 20 percent. The shorter shifts also do not appear to have impacted how much sleep the individuals get or feelings of depression they may be experiencing.

While it is not entirely clear why the error rates are so much higher when a resident is working fewer hours, there are several theories. One is that despite working shorter hours the residents are expected to complete the same amount of work as they did when they worked longer shifts. Another theory is that the medical errors are due to issues that arise as a result of the handoff from one doctor to another. The more doctors a patient sees, the greater the chance that confusion will arise concerning treatment.

Most would agree that this is a matter that needs to be looked into further. Figuring out a good schedule for residents would lead apparently not only to fewer patient injuries but likely fewer medical malpractice lawsuits as well. Overall these would both be good news for both patients as well as the medical field.

Source: USA Today, "Studies: Residents make more errors on shorter shifts," Janice Lloyd, March 25, 2013

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