title: Impact of working 48 h per week on opportunities for training and patient contact: the experience of Irish interns.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The European Working Time Regulations (EWTR) have been criticized for its purported negative impact on the training of junior doctors. The aim of this study was to examine the amount of time interns spent engaging in various work activities.
  
  
  METHODS
  An online time-use diary was used to collect data from interns.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two teaching hospitals in the Republic of Ireland.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 45 interns logged at least one 24-h period. The logs were obtained from 67 shifts from a surgical rotation and 83 shifts from a medical rotation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The amount of time interns spent engaging in direct patient care, indirect patient care, educational activities and personal activities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On day shift, medical interns spent a significantly smaller proportion of the shift on direct care (159/613 min, 25.9% versus 214/636 min, 33.6%) and a greater proportion on education (195/613 min, 31.8% versus 139/636 min, 21.9%) than surgical interns. On extended days, medical interns spent a significantly larger proportion of the shift on education than surgical interns (243/814 min, 29.9% versus 126/804, 15.7% min). On night shift, medical interns spent a significantly greater proportion of the shift on direct care (590/720 min, 81.9% versus 346/727 min, 47.6%) and education (33/720 min, 4.6% versus 6/727 min, 0.8%) than surgical interns.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The interns in the study reported spending more time on direct patient care and educational activities, and less time on indirect patient care activities than interns in other countries.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, National University of Ireland, Distillery Road, Galway, Ireland.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, National University of Ireland, Distillery Road, Galway, Ireland.
authors.forename: Sinéad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lydon
authors.affiliation: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 123 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Gozie
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Offiah
authors.affiliation: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 123 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahern
authors.affiliation: Saolta University Hospital Group, Newcastle Road, Galway, Ireland.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Moloney
authors.affiliation: Saolta University Hospital Group, Newcastle Road, Galway, Ireland.
authors.forename: Dara
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Byrne
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D007494:Ireland; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: European working time regulations; interns; time