How to Further Decrease the Efficiency of Care at a Level I Trauma Center: Implement the Amended Resident Work Hours

Abstract

Work-hour restrictions were amended in 2011 to limit interns to 16 continuous duty hours, essentially requiring a night float system of 12-hour shifts. We hypothesize that there has been no improvement in outcomes after implementation of the amended work-hour restrictions. Outcomes from trauma admissions were queried from the trauma registry from 2009 to 2011 (PRE) and 2011 to 2013 (POST). The primary outcome was mortality with secondary outcomes intensive care unit length of stay (LOS) and LOS. Patients were stratified based on age, mechanism, gender, blood pressure, heart rate, and injury severity (Injury Severity Score, Glasgow Coma Scale, Base Deficit). Outcomes were then compared from admissions PRE to POST. A total of 9178 patients were included in the study population. The mean age was 42 with most being male (72%) and blunt mechanism (81%). Patient populations were well matched except patients in the POST period were slightly older (43 vs 42 years; P = 0.01). Intensive care unit LOS and LOS were higher in the POST period. After adjusted analysis, admission in the POST period was not a predictor of mortality (odds ratio 0.857; confidence interval 0.655–1.12). The POST period was an independent predictor for LOS (β = 0.74; P = 0.002). This study adds to the mounting evidence that the implementation of the amended limits on work hours leads to furthermore decreased efficiency of care.