Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37940477›Full record

ArticleSleep health2024

Public opinion of resident physician work hours in 2022.

Matthew D Weaver, Laura K Barger, Jason P Sullivan, Stuart F Quan, Rebecca Robbins, Christopher P Landrigan, Charles A Czeisler

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Sleep health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. The 24-hour in-house call: a relic in the modern workforce.Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association · 2026
    Article
  2. Do no harm, even to residents: Rethinking extended-hour call shifts.Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Matthew D WeaverDivision of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Departments of Medicine and Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Electronic address: mdweaver@bwh.harvard.edu.
Laura K BargerDivision of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Departments of Medicine and Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Jason P SullivanDivision of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Departments of Medicine and Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Stuart F QuanDivision of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Departments of Medicine and Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Rebecca RobbinsDivision of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Departments of Medicine and Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Christopher P LandriganDivision of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Departments of Medicine and Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Charles A CzeislerDivision of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Departments of Medicine and Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Funding

Impact of lifting work hour restrictions on first-year resident safety, health and well-beingR01OH011773 · OH · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · PI BARGER, LAURA K. · 2019 to 2022
$2.9M
NIOSH CDC HHS R01 OH011773
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThe purpose of this study was to characterize public awareness and opinion regarding resident physician work hours in the United States.

methodsWe conducted a nationally representative cross-sectional survey among adults in the United States. Demographic quota-based sampling was conducted by Qualtrics to match 2020 United States Census estimates of age, sex, race, and ethnicity. Descriptive statistics are presented. Hypothesis testing was conducted to identify characteristics associated with agreement with current resident physician work-hour policies.

results4763 adults in the United States participated in the study. 97.1% of the public believes that resident physicians should not work 24-hour shifts and 95.6% believe the current 80 hours resident work week is too long. 66.4% of the participants reported that the maximum shift duration should be 12 consecutive hours or fewer, including 22.9% who recommended a maximum shift length of 8 hours. Similarly, 66.4% reported that maximum weekly work hours should be 59 or fewer, including 24.9% who recommended a maximum of 40 weekly work hours.

conclusionsNearly all US adults disagree with current work-hour policies for resident physicians. Public opinion supports limiting shifts to no more than 12 consecutive hours and weekly work to no more than 60 hours, which is in sharp contrast to current regulations that permit of 28 hours shifts and 80 hours of work per week.

Indexed as

Internship and ResidencyPhysiciansAdultCross-Sectional StudiesHumansPublic OpinionUnited StatesWorkloadWork Schedule ToleranceExtended duration shiftsPublic opinionShift durationWeekly work hours

Identifiers

PMID37940477
PMCPMC13174936

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.