Continuity of Patient Care: A Value Worth Preserving

The trial will be conducted over 1 year, with residents’ opinions being surveyed at its midpoint. If patient outcomes are similar in the two arms or superior in the arm with more flexible rules and resident opinion is favorable, this would lend strong support for more flexibility in all general surgery residencies. As of this date, more than 100 general surgery programs have agreed to randomization.

The sponsoring agencies are to be congratulated for designing a trial that for the first time will objectively evaluate just how restrictive work rules need to be. Their efforts may effectively preserve a value that is at the core of our profession – the continuous care of our surgical patients.

Dr. Rikkers is the Editor in Chief of ACS Surgery News.