A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that work hours for U.S. physicians has declined steadily for the last 10 years, which has worsened the national physicians shortage.
The study, headed by Dartmouth economist Douglas O. Staiger, PhD, found that physicians worked an average of 51 hours per week from 2006-2008, down 7.2 percent from 54.9 hours per week in 1996-1998.
The decrease in work hours was seen across all groups of physicians — among younger and older physicians, male and female physicians, physicians employed in hospital and non-hospital settings and among self-employed and non–self-employed physicians.
Working hours for non-resident physicians younger than 45 years of age had the largest drop in working hours with a decrease of 7.4 percent. Physicians older than 45 years of age had the smallest decrease with only a 3.7 percent drop in working hours, according to the study. Resident working hours also declined, but this was largely due to imposed restrictions that went into effect in 2003.
The study contrasted the drop in working hours for physicians with working hours of registered nurses, lawyers and engineers — all of which experienced fairly steady working hours over the past 30 years.
The study also highlighted that the drop in working hours coincides with a decrease in physician fees, which have decreased 25 percent over the last 10 years, when accounting for inflation, according to the report.
Read the JAMA study on physician working hours.