Monterey, CA Stressed Out Hospital Residents Are Making More Mistakes Despite Rules Implemented To Make Their Jobs Easier

View From A Non-Profit Serving Carmel, Carmel Valley, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, Seaside And Soledad California Conventional wisdom is that residents training in hospitals become too tired to adequately treat patients, causing many errors.  Two recent studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, however, have found the opposite.  There have been recent workplace regulations implemented which limit the work hours that doctors in training can work.  These were designed to enhance safety for both patients and residents.  Both studies say that these rules need to be analyzed and perhaps redesigned.  Formerly, a resident could not work more than 30 hours without taking a break.  In 2011, this was changed to "protect patients from errors made by sleepy doctors," one study by the University of Michigan Medical School said.  The rules have not reduced depression rates or increased how many hours per day the doctors sleep, the report says.  In addition, patients harmed increased by a hefty 15-20%.  Those conducting the studies say that these perplexing results are due to the fact that teaching hospitals haven't increased the staff needed to comply with the new work rules.  Essentially, the residents are forced to do the same amount of work in less time.  These results are disturbing, and the easiest solution seems to be to increase staff at these hospitals so the residents are under less stress.