New sleep rules for medical residents

Jul 2 2011

Kaiser Health News / NPR: New Rules Provide Relief For Sleep-Deprived Medical Residents
Dr. Emil Oweis is ready for anything Washington Hospital Center throws at him. One year out of medical school, the tall 26-year-old internal-medicine resident often works up to 30 hours at a time. He sees it as a necessary part of his training. ... Patient safety advocates aren't so sure. On Friday, a new set of rules goes into effect, limiting first-year residents, also called interns, to 16-hour shifts (Gold, 7/1).

Meanwhile, an academic medical center in Denver is setting the standard for patient safety.

PBS Newshour (Video): Denver Hospital Sets The Bar For Patient Safety
As many as 96,000 people are estimated to die every year from an infection or a medical mistake after going into the hospital. And almost all of those deaths are preventable. Health correspondent Betty Ann Bowser reports from a Denver hospital that has the lowest mortality rate of any academic medical center in the country (6/30).