Effects of the new Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education work hour rules on surgical interns: a prospective study in a community teaching hospital

The average Epworth Sleepiness Scale score increased from 9.8 to 14.9 after the transition to a night float schedule.

• Interns reported higher levels of daytime sleepiness after the change in work hours.
• The transition to a night float schedule was associated with a relative risk of 2.86 for interns being abnormally tired.
• Fatigue levels among interns remained elevated with both the 3/4 night float schedule and the 6/1 schedule.
• The absence of a post-call day may contribute to inadequate recovery from poor sleep.

AI simplified