Resident Physician Duty-hour Requirements: What Does the Public Think?

Introduction: To date, no study has reported on the public's opinion of orthopaedic resident duty-hour requirements (DHR).

Methods: A survey was administered to people in orthopaedic waiting rooms and at three senior centers. Responses were analyzed to evaluate seven domains: knowledge of duty hours; opinions about duty hours; attitudes regarding shift work; patient safety concerns; and the effects of DHRs on continuity of care, on resident training, and on resident professionalism.