Working conditions of interns/residents and patient safety: Painful training might not be authentic

Abstract

The current working conditions of medical interns and residents in South Korea pose dangers to patient safety as well as to staff health. A national survey in 2014 showed that interns/residents worked an average of 93 hours per week. The prevalence of physical and verbal violence experienced by medical residents in the preceding 12 months was reported as 13.1% and 61.5%, respectively. Furthermore, sleep deprivation due to long working hours was strongly associated with a high risk of committing 'near miss errors'. An act to govern the working environment of interns/residents was established in 2015 and stipulates a maximum working hours of 88 hours per week. This is an important step toward improving patient safety and intern/resident health in South Korea.