WASHINGTON (Medill News Service) — Worn-out medical residents need more breaks to avoid dangerous slip-ups, according to a report released Tuesday by the Institute of Medicine. The prescription: Doctors in training shouldn’t work for more than 16 hours without sleep, which is a drop from previous standards.
“The evidence is clear,” said Dr. Carolyn Clancy. “We are placing both patients and residents at risk for deadly errors.” Clancy is director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which sponsored the report.
The study’s backers said stamina is an important attribute for young physicians to learn, but residents are too often pushed to their biological limits. Clancy said “coffee and prayer” were her remedies for exhaustion during training.