Differential Impact of Work Overload on Physicians' Attention: A Comparison Between Residential Fields

OBJECTIVES: Medical errors cause tens of thousands of deaths annually and have a major impact on quality of care and management; however, it receives scant research and public awareness. This study aimed to examine the relation between workload-induced lack of sleep and attention failure, as indications for medical errors risk, among young residents. METHODS: We performed an evaluation of young physicians by the Test of Variables of Attention, before and after a 24-hour shift. RESULTS: Workload was manifested by 13% overall attention impairment at baseline, which increased to 34% with deficiencies below the normal range after the shift. Attention measures differed between physicians of each residential field at baseline, but to greater extent after the shift. CONCLUSIONS: Traditional working schedule is strongly associated with attention failure. Based on the literature linking attention failures to medical errors, we suggest a regulatory change regarding residents' shift duration to decrease preventable errors.