Mortality Among Hospitalized Medicare Beneficiaries in the First 2 Years Following ACGME Resident Duty Hour Reform

Abstract

Widespread concern about the number of deaths in US hospitals from medical errors¹ prompted the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to implement duty hour regulations effective July 1, 2003, for all ACGME-accredited residency programs.^2,3 Work limitations for residents included no more than 80 hours per week, with 1 day in 7 free of all duties, averaged over 4 weeks; no more than 24 continuous hours with an additional 6 hours for education and transfer of care; in-house call no more frequently than every third night; and at least 10 hours of rest between duty periods.²