Challenges facing workstyle reform for Japanese obstetricians and gynecologists revealed from time studies

Abstract

Aim: We aimed to grasp the actual working hours of Japanese obstetricians and gynecologists (OB/GYN doctors) as accurately as possible, using the same method of the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW). Methods: The time study targeted OB/GYN doctors working at 10 universities nationwide including Niigata University and 21 institutions which take a role of perinatal care in Niigata prefecture. Working hours per week were calculated based on the following categories: regular and overtime work inside the hospital, work outside the hospital, self-improvement, education, research, and others. Data on weekly working hours were converted to yearly data for analyses. Results: A time study of 10 universities nationwide revealed that 30% of doctors work overtime for more than 1860 h even if they do not include on-call shifts in their working hours. In 21 institutions in Niigata, physicians in Niigata University worked more overtime than other hospitals. It became clear that

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“…There are many primary medical facilities in Japan, and the country's medical-care provision system is not integrated; thus, there is an uneven distribution of doctors across urban and rural areas. In addition, the number of female doctors in Japan has recently increased, which has resulted in a change of doctors' work style 2,3 ; the nature of these changes mean it may become difficult to maintain the current quality of perinatal care with the current number of OB-GYN specialists. Thus, it is necessary to further increase the number of OB-GYN specialists in Japan.…”