No Variation in Patient Care Outcomes After Implementation of Resident Shift Work Duty Hour Limitations and a Hospitalist Model System.
Am J Med Qual. 2015 Dec 3;
Authors: Hollier JM, Wilson SD
Abstract
This study examines whether implementing a resident shift work schedule (RSWS) alone or combined with a hospitalist-led model system (HMS/RSWS) affects patient care outcomes or costs at a pediatric tertiary care teaching hospital. A retrospective sample compared pre- and postintervention groups for the most common primary discharge diagnoses, including asthma and cellulitis (RSWS intervention) and inflammatory bowel disease and diabetic ketoacidosis (HMS/RSWS intervention). Outcome variables included length of stay, number of subspecialty consultations, and hospitalization charges. For the RSWS intervention, the preintervention (n = 107) and postintervention (n = 92) groups showed no difference in any of the outcome variables. For the HMS/RSWS intervention, the preintervention (n = 98) and postintervention (n = 69) groups did not differ in demographics or length of stay. However, subspecialty consultations increased significantly during postintervention from 0.83 to 1.52 consults/hospitalization (P < .01) without significantly increasing hospitalization charges. Neither the RSWS nor HMS/RSWS intervention affected patient care outcomes at a pediatric tertiary care teaching hospital.
PMID: 26635330 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]