@article{ref1,
title="Different views about work-hour limitations in medicine: a qualitative content analysis of surgeons', lawyers', and pilots' positive and negative arguments",
journal="PLoS one",
year="2014",
author="Businger, Adrian P. and Kaderli, Reto M.",
volume="9",
number="11",
pages="e113578-e113578",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Whereas work-hour regulations have been taken for granted since 1940 in other occupational settings, such as commercial aviation, they have been implemented only recently in medical professions, where they lead to a lively debate. The aim of the present study was to evaluate arguments in favour of and against work-hour limitations in medicine given by Swiss surgeons, lawyers, and pilots. <br><br>METHODS: An electronic questionnaire survey with four free-response items addressing the question of what arguments speak in favour of or against work-hour limitations in general and in medicine was sent to a random sample of board-certified surgeons, lawyers in labour law, and pilots from SWISS International Airlines Ltd. <br><br>RESULTS: In all, 279/497 (56%) of the respondents answered the survey: 67/117 surgeons, 92/226 lawyers, and 120/154 pilots. Support for work-hour limitations in general and in medicine was present and higher among lawyers and pilots than it was in surgeons (p<0.001). The latter agreed more with work-hour limitations in general than in medicine (p<0.001). The most often cited arguments in favour of work-hour limitations were &quot;quality and patient safety,&quot; &quot;health and fitness,&quot; and &quot;leisure and work-family balance,&quot; whereas the lack of &quot;flexibility&quot; was the most important argument against. Surgeons expected more often that their &quot;education&quot; and the &quot;quality of their work&quot; would be threatened (p<0.001). <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Work-hour limitations should be supported in medicine also, but a way must be found to reduce problems resulting from discontinuity in patient care and to minimise the work in medicine, which has no education value.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1932-6203",
doi="10.1371/journal.pone.0113578",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0113578"
}