Residents' Suggestions for Reducing Medical Errors

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Abstract
The Sounding Board article by Volpp and Grande (Feb. 27 issue)1 addresses the effects of hospital inefficiency on the hours worked by residents and, ultimately, on errors in care. A study we undertook to quantify the time spent by members of the house staff on nonclinical tasks highlights this issue. The time spent on several activities was measured: holding (on the telephone) for the page operator or laboratory, ordering studies, looking for charts or forms, and waiting for a computer. Over a two-week period, 14 residents prospectively recorded data on these activities. Each resident spent more than 2 hours and 26 minutes per week on these tasks. In an environment in which work hours are scrutinized, this time is critical. Furthermore, the negative psychological effect of spending prolonged periods on these tasks cannot be underestimated.

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