A crackdown on marathon working hours for medical residents has had mixed results when it comes to patient safety, according to studies published in this week’s issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.
Two related studies examined mortality rates for hospitalized Medicare beneficiaries, as well as patients admitted to Veterans Administration hospitals. There was no significant change in the Medicare patients since doctors in training were limited, in 2003, to working 80 hours per week. But the VA study found a 26-percent drop in mortality for four medical conditions.
A report issued in July by Stanford University researchers had similarly mixed findings. —Katherine Mangan
