The impact of the 80-hour resident workweek on surgical residents and attending surgeons.
Since implementation of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) resident duty hour restrictions, several studies have discussed the changes from a policy standpoint, a cost perspective, and with respect to patient safety. This study discovered that although resident quality of life improved, there was no impact on quality of patient care, and several concerns were raised about the training of future surgeons. These concerns included a change toward a shift-worker mentality with less patient focus, decreased continuity of care, and erosion of the doctor-patient relationship. Investigators used a combination of time card assessments, Web-based surveys, and individual interviews to draw their conclusions.