title: Increased Mortality Rates During Resident Handoff Periods and the Effect of ACGME Duty Hour Regulations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Medical errors occur following handoff-related miscommunication. Data regarding the effect on patient-centered outcomes, specifically mortality, are lacking. Our objective was to investigate handoff-related mortality and the effect of duty-hour regulations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cohort study of adult medical patients at a public, university-affiliated hospital from 2010 to 2012. Patients were divided into 2 cohorts: handoff group (discharged within 7 days following a change in resident physician team) vs control group (discharged the 3 weeks of each 4-week rotation before resident service change). The primary outcome was unadjusted and adjusted hospital mortality rate. As a secondary prespecified analysis, we examined the effect of 2011 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) duty-hour changes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 23,736 patients, unadjusted hospital mortality during the handoff group was higher than the control group (2.68% vs 2.08%, respectively; P = .007; odds ratio [OR] 1.30; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-1.57). Following adjustment, this association remained statistically significant (adjusted OR 1.34; P = .003; 95% CI, 1.10-1.62). Similarly, pre-duty-hour unadjusted hospital mortality was higher in the handoff group vs control group (2.87% vs 2.01%, respectively; P = .006; OR 1.44; 95% CI, 1.11-1.86), which remained statistically significant following adjustment (adjusted OR 1.50; P = .002; 95% CI, 1.16-1.95). However, this association lost statistical significance following duty-hour revision with respect to both unadjusted (2.48% vs 2.15%, respectively; P = .30; OR 1.16; 95% CI, 0.88-1.53) and adjusted mortality (OR 1.18; P = .26; 95% CI, 0.89-1.56).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Resident transition in care was significantly associated with an increase in unadjusted and adjusted hospital mortality. Although improved by 2011 ACGME duty-hour amendments, a trend toward higher mortality remained following resident handoff.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Bellevue Hospital Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York. Electronic address: Joshua.Denson@nyumc.org.
authors: Joshua L
authors: JL
authors: Denson
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York.
authors: Matthew
authors: M
authors: McCarty
authors: Division of Biostatistics, Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York.
authors: Yixin
authors: Y
authors: Fang
authors: Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Bellevue Hospital Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York.
authors: Amit
authors: A
authors: Uppal
authors: Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Bellevue Hospital Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York.
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Evans
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D062209:Patient Handoff; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014940:Work Schedule Tolerance
keywords: Duty hours; Handoff; Handover; Mortality; Resident duty-hour reform; Transitions of care