Duty Hours
ACGME-regulated limits on the number of hours residents and fellows may work, designed to protect patient safety and resident well-being.
Definition
Duty hours refer to the scheduled clinical and academic activities required of residents and fellows. ACGME sets specific limits on duty hours for all accredited programs, including maximum hours per week (80 hours averaged over four weeks), minimum time off between shifts, and limits on consecutive hours worked. Programs are required to monitor duty hours compliance and residents are required to report their hours. Violations can result in citations or more serious accreditation actions.
Why it matters for your program
Duty hours violations are among the most common citations issued by ACGME. They are also one of the most visible compliance issues because residents report their own hours. Programs that rely on residents to self-report without adequate monitoring systems, or whose culture discourages accurate reporting, face significant accreditation risk. Duty hours compliance requires both policy and culture.
Related terms
ACGME Accreditation
The formal process by which the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education evaluates and recognizes residency and fellowship programs.
Annual Program Evaluation (APE)
A required yearly review of a residency or fellowship program's performance, conducted by the Program Evaluation Committee.
Related Service
GME Operations Review
Ashley Wood, PhD helps programs navigate duty hours requirements with director-level expertise from HCA Healthcare and Vanderbilt.
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