February 2012
Graduate Medical Education
Hospitals alerted to dangers of tired residents, workers
Fatigued health care professionals are more likely than colleagues who are well-rested to be involved in adverse events, the Joint Commission said in a recent sentinel-event alert to the hospitals and other health care organizations it accredits.
In the alert, the commission highlighted research showing that nurses who work shifts longer than 12.5 hours are three times more likely to make patient care mistakes than other nurses. It also cited a 2007 study reporting that resident physicians who work traditional schedules with recurrent 24-hour shifts:
- Make 36 percent more serious preventable adverse events than those who work no more than 16 consecutive hours.
- Make five times as many serious diagnostic errors.
- Have twice as many on-the-job attentional failures at night.
The commission suggested that health care organizations take various steps to help mitigate the risks of fatigue that result from extended duty hours. Among them are making sure physicians and other health care professionals do not work too many extended shifts, giving workers a chance to offer input on scheduling, and making sure patient hand-off procedures are safe.
View an American Medical News story about the alert.
Program seeks to broaden AMA outreach to residents
The AMA would like to team with your institution for the Resident Outreach Program (ROP).
The AMA ROP strives to increase resident and fellow awareness of the AMA, including important resources and advocacy that helps physicians throughout their training and on into practice.
As part of this program, the AMA engages with residents during orientations, through an AMA table set up at exhibit fairs. Alternatively, if your institution does not have this type of forum available, the AMA can send you materials that you may wish to include in your orientation kits, GME office or other activities.
If your institution is interested in participating in ROP, please complete our online form by Mar. 31.
IOM seeking experts for committee on GME governance, financing
The U.S. Senate has asked the Institute of Medicine (IOM), in a Dec. 21 letter, to conduct an independent review of the governance and financing of the GME system in the U.S. The IOM is now seeking experts in the scientific, technical, and medical professions to be considered for the committee that will undertake this work and address the following question:
"Whether the current regulation, financing, content, governance, and organization of U.S. GME will produce a physician workforce for a 21st century U.S. health care system that provides high quality preventive, acute, and chronic care, and meets the needs of an aging and more diverse population."
Nominations are due by Feb. 8 to Tana Gaylene.
News and notes
- A new study of otolaryngology residency programs suggests that where program directors value the interview and personal knowledge of program applicants, the interview and letters of recommendation are seen by the applicants themselves as the most important criteria.
- TMI? A study finds that patients' willingness to take part in resident education declines when detailed informed consent is provided. Consent rates also declined "with increasing levels of resident participation."
- Join an audio teleconference hosted by the Association for Hospital Medical Education, "Quality Initiatives to Meet Our Educational Goals: Washington Hospital Center's Innovative Strategies," at 1 p.m. on March 6, presented by Janis M. Orlowski, MD, MACP, Chief Medical Officer, Washington Hospital Center.
AMA resources for you and your trainees
- View an archive version of our webinar on ways to expand and improve GME.
- Check out our new recommendations on strategies to expand funding of GME.
- Get trend data on undergraduate and graduate medical education.
- Watch a YouTube video summary of the New Horizons in Medical Education conference.
- Help your residents master the ACGME general competency requirements.
- Learn more about patient safety in medical education.
- Get updated information on medical licensure.
- Obtain state-by-state GME data.
- Get an updated copy of our GME glossary (email meded@ama-assn.org with "glossary" in subject line).
- Post open residency positions (click on "Residency and Fellowship Vacancy Submission Form").
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