Faculty perceptions of the ACGME resident duty hour regulations in family medicine.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) duty hour regulations have significantly changed residency education. Initial research focused heavily on resident experiences, while changes in faculty roles and effects on patient care and resident education have received less attention. This survey examines faculty perceptions of the effect of duty hour changes in academic family medicine.
METHODS: Family medicine faculty members from 15% of ACGME-accredited residencies were surveyed. The survey included demographic information and Likert-type questions about changes in faculty duties, patient care, resident education, and satisfaction with academic medicine.
RESULTS: A total of 368 of 672 surveys were returned; 97% of the 69 surveyed programs were represented. The average faculty workweek was 66 hours, including call. Of respondents, 81% felt that weekly faculty hours were unchanged since duty hours; 19% thought work hours had increased. Faculty felt that residency education and patient care were not positively affected by duty hours. Statistically significant differences were found between perceptions of faculty who did and did not deliver babies. Twenty percent of faculty members are considering leaving academic medicine in relation to duty hours.
CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with research from other specialties, many faculty members perceive that their work roles have increased in certain areas. Resident performance and patient care are not seen to be improved as a result of duty hours. Further research into the unexpected findings involving labor and delivery responsibilities is needed.