European Working Time Directive: implications for surgical training.

Maximizing time from the constraining European Working Time Directive (EWTD): The Heidelberg New Working Time Model

BACKGROUND The introduction of the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) has greatly reduced training hours of surgical residents, which translates into 30% less surgical and clinical experience. Such a dramatic drop in attendance has serious implications such compromised quality of medical care. As the surgical department of the University of Heidelberg, our goal was to establish a model that...

The European Working Time Directive: a practical review for surgical trainees.

The European Working Time Directive (EWTD) 2003/88/EC is a Union Directive laying down minimum health and safety requirements for the organisation of working time. Originally primarily intended as labour law, its progressive introduction up to full implementation for doctors-in-training in August 2009 has substantially reduced duty-hours and caused widespread concern in surgery. Detrimental eff...

The European working time directive for doctors in training.

Weekly working hours for Norwegian hospital doctors since 1994 with special attention to postgraduate training, work–home balance and the European Working Time Directive: a panel study

OBJECTIVES To examine the weekly working hours of Norwegian hospital doctors from 1994 to 2012 with special emphasis on the quality of postgraduate training and work-home balance, and in relation to the requirements of the European Working Time Directive (EWTD). DESIGN Panel study based on postal questionnaires. SETTING Norway. PARTICIPANTS Unbalanced cohort of 1300-1600 doctors in 1994, ...

The impact of shift patterns on junior doctors' perceptions of fatigue, training, work/life balance and the role of social support

BACKGROUND The organisation of junior doctors' work hours has been radically altered following the partial implementation of the European Working Time Directive. Poorly designed shift schedules cause excessive disruption to shift workers' circadian rhythms. METHOD Interviews and focus groups were used to explore perceptions among junior doctors and hospital managers regarding the impact of th...