Most large urban hospitals have residency programs. The resident physicians are medical school graduates who are not fully trained until they complete their residencies. The benefit to the medical school graduate is that he or she obtains necessary experience. The benefit to the private practice physicians is that they don't have to be present at the hospital around the clock. The residents act as their eyes and ears when the staff physicans are at their offices or home in bed or on the golf course. The benefit to the hospital is cheap, semi-skilled labor. Unfortunately for the patient, the workload for the residents is exhausting and the quality of care suffers accordingly.
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jul/01/opinion/la-oe-0701-leape-medicine-20110701
Historically, residents have worked regular 30-hour shifts with limited to no sleep. Surgical residents often work 80 to 100 hour weeks. Inexperience and sleep deprivation are hardly a safe combination, but the medical community has been slow to change this practice, despite evidence that patient safety is at risk.
http://www.hourswatch.org/storage/resident_work_hours_brochure_single_pages.pdf
New regulations adopted by the medical community have limited the length of shifts for first-year residents, but have left in place archaic shift lengths and weekly work hours for all other residents.
If you believe that your hospitalization or the medical care of your loved one was compromised by an exhausted resident, contact the injury lawyers at Hill Hardman, LLC at (330) 253-4000 or visit our website.
http://www.hillhardman.com/Medical-Malpractice/
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