How one case changed medical education

It can be easy to forget the many of the rules and regulations in place in medical education and medical research were put in place because of specific cases. Real people are behind the push for greater regulation, oversight and safety. And sometimes it can be one case that is the catalyst for a major change. Such is a case of Libby Zion, who died 25 years ago this week. Her death at New York Hospital while under the supervision of harried residents with little or no sleep lead to reforms in work hours and supervision rules for medical residents all over the country. Dr. Barron Lerner offers a compelling account of the case and the rules put in place since then here.

Dr. Pauline Chen examines some of the implications and ethical dilemmas raised by the hour restrictions. Among the consequences are errors and problems with patient hand-offs, when one shift of physicians briefs an oncoming shift and the ethical dilemmas when residents are faced with the prospect of leaving a patient they are compelled to stay with and being in violation of, or even lying about, their hours in the hospital. You can find the article here.