Skip to contents
In This Issue:
The Harvard Work Hours, Health and Safety Group, part of the Division of Sleep Medicine at BWH, last month received the 2006 Healthy Sleep Community Award from the National Sleep Foundation.
The group studies the effects of extended work hours and sleep deprivation on the safety and health of physicians, patients, police officers and the general public. In one study, the Harvard Work Hours, Health and Safety Group compared the fatigue level and medical error rate of residents who worked a maximum of 16 consecutive hours to those who worked a schedule of 30-consecutive-hour shifts. The study revealed that the residents on the 30-hour shifts made nearly 36 percent more serious medical errors, including five times as many serious diagnostic mistakes, than those on the limited work schedule.
“These efforts are enormously helpful in connecting the dots between long work hours, sleep deprivation and such serious safety issues as medical errors and vehicle crashes,” Richard L. Gelula, chief executive officer of the National Sleep Foundation, said.
The group has been working with local lawmakers and professional medical organizations to recommend policies promoting sleep and safety, and it is working with BWH staff to limit work hours for interns and senior residents to minimize errors and optimize medical education.
“We are proud and thrilled to have been chosen for this exciting award for our efforts on the work schedules of interns and their impact on health and safety,” said Charles Czeisler, MD, PhD, chief of the BWH Division of Sleep Medicine, who, together with Laura Barger, PhD, Christopher Landrigan, MD, MPH, and Steven W. Lockley, PhD, led this effort.