2007年VOA标准英语-Study Says Shorter Work Hours for Doctors is OK

By Carol Pearson
Washington
05 September 2007
 

American doctors used to work as many as 120 hours a week during their hospital training, or residency.

But now, new doctors are limited to a shorter, 80-hour workweek.  The original schedule was designed partly to ensure that one doctor cared for individual patients over a long period of time.  But until now, no one knew if this new system was actually better for the patient. VOA's Carol Pearson reports.

New doctors, also called residents, watch as another provides care

After finishing medical school in the United States, doctors work in hospitals under the supervision¹ of experienced physicians. These new doctors are commonly called residents.

Their long work hours were cut back after a study proved that lack of sleep increased medical errors.

But no one knew if constantly transferring patients from one doctor to another because of shorter work days would be bad for the patient.

Dr. Jeffrey Silber co-authored a study on the issue.  He says things are working just fine. "What we found was that there was no catastrophe², there was not an increased number of deaths."

Some people thought more patients might die because there would be less consistency³ in their care and some vital information might not get passed along. But again, Dr. Silber says that did not happen. "What the results tell me is that the healthcare system is flexible, that it absorbed a shock to the system which was the change in staffing that occurred with a change in the rules, and yet, there wasn't any change in mortality.  We didn't see any detrimental⁴ effects."

One resident, Dr. Meredith Pugh, says it really comes down to one thing. "The goal should be to continue to decrease the amount of fatigue⁵ and to provide safe options so we can continue to take good care of our patients."

The authors of the study say they still need to find out how many hours residents can work and still stay mentally alert and also how to reduce any risk to patients that might come with the turnover⁶ in the medical staff. The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

1 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

2 catastrophe   

n.大灾难，大祸

参考例句：

• I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
• This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。

3 consistency   

n.一贯性，前后一致，稳定性；(液体的)浓度

参考例句：

• Your behaviour lacks consistency.你的行为缺乏一贯性。
• We appreciate the consistency and stability in China and in Chinese politics.我们赞赏中国及其政策的连续性和稳定性。

4 detrimental   

adj.损害的，造成伤害的

参考例句：

• We know that heat treatment is detrimental to milk.我们知道加热对牛奶是不利的。
• He wouldn't accept that smoking was detrimental to health.他不相信吸烟有害健康。

5 fatigue   

n.疲劳，劳累

参考例句：

• The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
• I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。

6 turnover   

n.人员流动率，人事变动率；营业额，成交量

参考例句：

• The store greatly reduced the prices to make a quick turnover.这家商店实行大减价以迅速周转资金。
• Our turnover actually increased last year.去年我们的营业额竟然增加了。