Posted At : September 10, 2009 5:41 PM
Related Categories: News, Coffee Talk

doctor enjoying coffeeA friend of mine is in his first year of residency at the local hospital, which means he's as low on the professional totem poll as he can get. That's why when I called him the other night, he was looking at the tail end of a 9-9 shift...not 9AM-9PM, mind you...9 AM to 9 AM (the next day). Can you believe it? Maybe it's not such a stretch of the imagination if you're a health care practitioner, but to the rest of us it sounds like insanity.

Apparently, over-worked doctors are commonplace around the world. It's a problem we share with the Australians, where doctors' sleep deprivation is a contributing factor in some patient deaths. In an attempt to curb the problem, health officials of Queensland, the fastest growing state in Australia, went on record advising local doctors to drink coffee. That's when the java hit the fan.

The controversial fatigue management strategy, released earlier this week, advised medical practitioners to ingest 400mg of caffeine to stave off sleep. Imagine your boss telling you to drink six cups of coffee to stay awake on the job! The published document went so far as to compare coffee to psychoactive drugs, such as Modafinil, stating that a cup of Joe was preferable since it's inexpensive and readily available.

Let's be honest, we're all latte lovers here. An espresso can certainly help you focus and remain alert, but I wouldn't put anyone's life on it. To doctors everywhere, I say enjoy your java in leisure. Don't abuse it in desperation.

Tho
Writing Department

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When ill people go to an E.R. etc.,we expect, pay for and deserve a doctor that is not sleep deprived. You can drink bocoo espresso, and it will NOT replace sleep. I'd like to be sure when I go to the hospital, it isn't to die like in old times. I'm a coffee lover, becoming more of one when I went to spain, where coffee originated. Go in any little hole in the wall (which is almost everywhere, since they wont tear down 6 ft. walls), order up a latte and you'll b e in heaven. That's when I got my first sspresso machine, now waiting on my DeLonghi EC155, which better last more than 4 months. Good luck to all who put their lives in the hands of exhausted doctors. Apparently it's not just the insurance portion of the health care system that needs an overhaul. I'm going to continue the study of herbs and how to use them for health and sickness.
# Posted By Marian Bostwick | 11/3/09 1:14 PM
I agree, you deserve a doctor that is not dangerously sleep-deprived. So please write your congressman(woman) and let them know you're willing to pay for it. Or purchase a better insurance plan. Consumers/taxpayers and hospitals/insurance companies (like everyone else) want more for less. Both utilize the intern/resident-in-training to their advantage - squeezing more hours out of them in the name of "adequate training". If patient safety is a priority, then we need to come up with the cash to pay for it. Pay doctors less = get lower quality doctors entering the field. Work doctors (or any professional) too many hours = get lower quality decision making. The typical US intern gets $40,000 per year, with a 2-week vacation, and works 80-hour weeks = (s)he's getting paid $10 per hour (before taxes). Do you want a sleep-deprived, near-minimum wage worker treating your illness? That being said, given the circumstances, our health care workers take great pride in their work and do a fantastic job, but as a physician I'm biased, of course.
# Posted By Ryan | 12/18/09 4:49 PM
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