Proposed New Regulations Would Require More Supervision Of Medical Residents

A couple weeks ago, I blogged about how July is the month when most medication errors occur in hospitals, most likely because July is the month when new doctors begin their residencies.
This week comes news that the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education is proposing new regulations mandating closer supervision of residents by more experienced doctors.
The proposed new regulations are important because they represent a departure from ACGME’s prior efforts to reform residency programs. Most of ACGME’s prior efforts to improve residences were directed at reducing the number of hours that medical residents work and establishing mandatory sleeping time for residents.
The focus on reducing residents’ duty hours seemed to presuppose that residents who commit medical malpractice do so because of sleep deprivation or fatigue, rather than a lack of knowledge, training or supervision. But as one doctor who supports the proposed new ACGME regs says, “Patient safety in teaching hospitals is not just about duty hours.” Indeed, often it’s about helping the residents rather than throwing them into a sink-or-swim atmosphere.


If you believe that you have been hurt by medical malpractice, or some other form of negligence, and you desire the services of a Boston personal injury attorney, call The Law Office of Alan H. Crede at (617)973-6434 for a free consultation.