Healthcare Research: Doctors

This portfolio of work focused on improving patient safety and the health, safety, and well-being of doctors in New Zealand public hospitals by improving the management of shift work and fatigue. The evidence-based approach integrates scientific, workforce and organisational expertise and international best practice.

Junior Doctors

In 2003, a national survey of Resident Medical Officers (RMOs) working in New Zealand hospitals was undertaken in partnership with the Resident Doctors Association to: document current hours of work, shift work, and rostering of RMOs, compare these to the Australian Medical Association’s Code of Practice for rostering for hospital doctors, inform debate, and make recommendations on how current practices could be improved. From the survey data, a fatigue risk assessment matrix was developed that is now used routinely to evaluate RMO rosters in DHBs (John McKeefry, personal communication).

Project leader: Prof Philippa Gander

Collaborators (in alphabetical order: Dr Celia Briar, Dr Sandy Garden, Heather Purnell, Naomi Travier, Margo van den Berg, Prof Alistair Woodward

Major Funding: Health Research Council of New Zealand

Anaesthetists

Work in this portfolio included a national survey of anaesthetists practising in New Zealand, fatigue monitoring studies of registrars and specialists, theatre incident monitoring, structured interviews with specialists, simulation studies with registrars, and development and testing of a new intravenous drug administration system designed to reduce anaesthetic error.

Collaborators (alphabetical order): Dr Sandy Garden, Prof Stuart Henderson, Prof Alan Merry, Dr Michelle Millar, Dr Brian Robinson, Dr Craig Webster, Dr Jennifer Weller

Major Funding: Health Research Council of New Zealand

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Primary Investigator(s)

Professor Philippa Gander

Professor Emeritus

p.h.gander@massey.ac.nz

See Profile

Others Involved

Dr Margo van den Berg

Lecturer

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Sweeney B
Sweeney, B & Wu, L. (2019). Perceptions, Skills, and Knowledge of Sleep-Related Difficulties and Their Treatment in a Cancer Psychosocial Workforce. Journal of the New Zealand College of Clinical Psychologists, 29(1), 3-12.

Garden A L
Robinson B J
Kappus L J
Macleod I
Gander P H
Garden, A. L., Robinson, B. J., Kappus, L. J., Macleod, I., & Gander, P. H. (2012). Fifteen-hour day shifts have little effect on the performance of taskwork by anaesthesia trainees during uncomplicated clinical simulation. Anaesth Intensive Care, 40(6), 1028-1034.

O'Keeffe K M
Gander P H
O’Keeffe KM and Gander PH (2012). Best practice Rostering, Shift Work and Hours of Work for Resident Doctors: A Review. Report commissioned by the National Resident Doctors Engagement Group. Wellington: Massey University SWRC.

Gander P
Briar C
Garden A
Purnell H
Woodward A
Gander, P., Briar, C., Garden, A., Purnell, H., & Woodward, A. (2010). A gender-based analysis of work patterns, fatigue, and work/life balance among physicians in postgraduate training. Academic Medicine, 85(9), 1526-1536.

Gander P H
Millar M
Webster C
Merry A
Gander, P. H., Millar, M., Webster, C., & Merry, A. (2008). Sleep loss and performance of anaesthesia trainees and specialists. Chronobiology International, 25(6), 1077-1091.

Gander P H
Purnell H M
Garden A L
Woodward A
Gander, P. H., Purnell, H. M., Garden, A. L., & Woodward, A. (2007). Work patterns and fatigue-related risk among junior doctors. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 64(11), 733-738.

Gander P H
Purnell H
Garden A
Woodward A
Gander, P. H., Purnell, H., Garden, A., & Woodward, A. (2005). Work patterns of New Zealand Resident Medical Officers: implications for doctors and patients, and strategies for improvement. Wellington, New Zealand: Sleep/Wake Research Centre, Massey University.

Webster C
Merry A
Gander P H
Mann N K
Webster, C., Merry, A., Gander, P. H., & Mann, N. K. (2004). A prospective, randomised clinical evaluation of a new safety-orientated injectable drug administration system in comparison with conventional methods. Anaesthesia, 59(1), 80-87.

Millar M A
Gander P H
Millar MA and Gander PH (2002). The Timing of Anaesthetic Incidents: Examination of Time-of-Day Effects. Sleep 25: A280.

Millar M A
Gander P H
Millar MA and Gander PH (2002). Estimating the Contribution of Fatigue to Reported Anaesthesia Incidents. Sleep 25: A281.

Gander P H
Merry A
Millar M M
Weller J
Gander, P. H., Merry, A., Millar, M. M., & Weller, J. (2000). Hours of work and fatigue-related error: A survey of New Zealand anaesthetists. ANAESTHESIA AND INTENSIVE CARE, 28(2), 178-183.

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