J Am Coll Radiol . 2021 Jan;18(1 Pt B):208-210. doi: 10.1016/j.jacr.2020.06.019.
Frank J Lexa
Radiologist workflow and duty hours should be configured to provide the highest quality care to our patients. I propose that national radiologist workload limits and duty rules should be set to optimize radiologists’ performance and to protect their health and professional longevity. These limits should be scientifically based and would include a maximum shift length of 10 hours, with an hourly limit based on the type of case or cases being read. These measures will likely be resisted by many radiologists and their employees for reasons related to issues such as financial consequences and labor challenges. Setting limits will also be seen by some as an intrusion on individual freedom. Furthermore, some radiologists will perceive this as an unnecessary restriction. They may think that they are not at personally at risk for mistakes or for health problems, which are in fact typical in our profession.
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