Sleep deprivation in doctors

	Tweet

Sleep deprivation is an issue that affects practising physicians and not only medical residents, and we need to establish standards for maximum work and minimum uninterrupted sleep to ensure patient safety, states an editorial in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) (pre-embargo link only).

A recent study indicated that lack of sleep can result in higher rates of surgical complications if a surgeon had less than six hours of sleep the preceding night. Doctors practising post-call may not be at optimal levels as fatigue can effect mental acuity.

“The problem may only be getting worse,” write CMAJ editors Drs. Noni MacDonald, Paul Hébert, Ken Flegel and Matthew Stanbrook. “Medical care today is more complex than in decades past….Increasing complexity of care at the bedside or in the operating theatre places unprecedented cognitive and physical demands on doctors who oversee and deliver care in these environments.”

However, there are barriers to limiting physicians’ work hours, including increased costs and the need to increase the number of doctors and residents in the system. As well, ensuring that physicians comply with restrictions on work hours may be a challenge.

“We doctors ourselves are part of this problem,” write the authors. “We need to shift our professional culture. Long periods on call should not be accepted as routine or a source of pride.”

They suggest that “licensing, accreditation, insurance and government institutions need to establish minimum best practice standards for maximum work and minimum uninterrupted sleep hours.”

###

Contact: Kim Barnhardt
kim.barnhardt@cmaj.ca
613-520-7116 x2224
Canadian Medical Association Journal

RELATED STORIES:
Longer sleep times may counteract genetic factors related to weight gain   Lack of Sleep May Raise Risk of Diabetes   Study: Insomnia takes toll on tinnitus patients   Graying America gets wired to cut healthcare costs   Lack of Sleep May Raise Risk of Diabetes   When Snoring Is More Than a Bad Soundtrack   Less Than Six Hours Sleep Can Contribute To Early Death, Says Study   Sleep linked to heart woes   Why Do We Sleep?   Sleeping Pill Death Toll May Top 500,000   Southerners the sleepiest in the US, study says   Trouble sleeping? It may affect your memory later on

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]