Radiology residency call: residents' perceptions of the on-call experience

Abstract

Purpose: This paper focuses on specific resident perceptions of call, including the compliance of training programs with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education's (ACGME) resident work rules and the level of comfort residents have in contacting out-of-house staff radiologists for help during on-call hours.

Methods: The authors designed a Web-based survey to examine radiology residents' perceptions about call conditions with input from the 2003-2004 ACR Resident and Fellow Section Executive Council. The survey instrument was distributed to chief residents in the United States and Canada with the help of the ACR.

Results: Eighty-five percent of respondents felt that the amounts of work and responsibility required for call were appropriate to their levels of training. Ninety-eight percent of US respondents felt that their programs were in complete compliance with the ACGME's resident work guidelines. Eighty-nine percent were comfortable contacting the staff physicians on call when those staff physicians were out of the hospital. Respondents who felt uncomfortable calling their staff physicians were more likely to feel that the work and responsibility of call were excessive to their levels of training (chi(2) = 11.301, P = .0033).

Conclusions: The majority of residents indicated that they were adequately trained for call. Most residents were on call without in-house staff coverage but felt comfortable contacting on-call staff physicians if needed. Residents who felt uncomfortable contacting on-call staff physicians were more likely to feel that their training had not prepared them for call. A high percentage of radiology resident programs are in compliance with the ACGME's resident work guidelines.