POLICY ON RESIDENT DUTY HOURS and ON-CALL ACTIVITIES

In September 2001 the ACGME appointed the Work Group on Resident Duty Hours and Learning Environment in response to changes in healthcare delivery and concerns that restricted sleep could have a detrimental effect on patient safety, education and resident safety and well being. The Work Group's recommendations have led to the birth of a set of common requirements that define a minimum standard which must be met by all accredited programs. These Common Accreditation Standards address three areas:

1. Placing appropriate limits on duty hours
2. Promoting institutional oversight
3. Fostering high-quality education and safe patient care.

1. Duty hours must be limited to 80 hours per week, averaged over a four-week period, inclusive of all in-house activities.
2. Residents must be provided with 1 day in 7 free from all educational and clinical responsibilities, averaged over a 4-week period, inclusive of call.  One day is defined as one continuous 24-hour period free from all clinical, educational, and administrative activities.
3. A 10-hour duty free period must be provided between all daily duty periods and after in-house call.

1. In-house call must occur no more frequently than every third night, averaged over a four week period. 
2. Continuous on-site duty, including in-house call, must not exceed 24 consecutive hours.  Residents may remain on duty for up to six additional hours to participate in didactic activities, transfer care of patients, conduct outpatient clinics and maintain continuity of medical and surgical care as defined by the ACGME Specialty and Subspecialty Program Requirements.
3. No new patients, as defined in the ACGME Specialty and Subspecialty Program Requirements, may be accepted after 24 hours of continous duty.

• Residents must compy with the Duty Hours and On-call Activities requirements.
• Residents must participate fully with Residency Program Policies to monitor compliance.