Study: Four-Week Shifts Don't Wrench Hospitalists' Work/Life Balance
Major Finding: Hospitalists scored similarly on work/life measures for 2- and 4-week shift schedules, with mean values of 11.8 for emotional exhaustion, 4.6 for life stress, and 21.5 for perceived control. Rotation length did not affect 30-day unplanned patient revisits for either schedule; the rate was 25% for both 2- and 4-week rotations.
Data Source: A study of 62 physicians – 18 hospitalists and 44 nonhospitalists – randomized to sequences of 2- and 4-week rotations.
Disclosures: Dr. Lucas had no financial declarations.
FROM THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE SOCIETY OF HOSPITAL MEDICINE
"Overall, these findings suggest that everyone has a little more work/life imbalance after a 4-week rotation, and that those feelings are greater for nonhospitalists," he said.
Before this study, Dr. Lucas said his hospital only offered 4-week rotations. Based on these data, it now allows physicians to choose which schedule might be the best fit. "Despite our findings, about a quarter of our attendings choose to do the 4-week rotation," he said. "My thought is that it works better for some people who don’t have some of these other personal or professional commitments."
As for trainee supervision, he expressed a different thought. "I think you have a better sense of your residents and medical students if you are with them for a full month at a time, rather than 2 weeks."
Dr. Lucas had no financial disclosures with regard to the study.
