• Purpose and Goals of the Trial
  
• Design
  
• Recruitment
  
• Timeline
  
• Program Responsibilities
  
• Other
  
• Frequently-asked Questions
• Assess Eligibility / Request Application
• ClinicalTrials.Gov listing (ID: NCT02274818) Click Here For Full Information Package
  

iCOMPARE is a systematic, large-scale cluster randomized trial comparing the current duty-hour regimen (16 hour maximum continuous work period) against a more flexible regimen characterized by three simple rules for all IM trainees:

• 80 hours maximum duty per week*
• 1 day off in 7*
• In-house call no more frequent than q3 nights*
  *averaged over a 4-week period

The goal of iCOMPARE is to provide evidence to help policy makers evaluate whether the current duty hour standards should be changed.

iCOMPARE is a one-year randomized trial that will assign participating ACGME-accredited Internal Medicine training programs to one of two duty-hour regimens:

• Current regimen; or
• Flexible regimen (up to 80 hours per week, 1 day off in 7, night call no more than one in three, all averaged over four weeks)

Outcomes include measures of patient safety and trainee education.

The ACGME will provide duty hour waivers to all participating programs from July 2015 through at least June 2019 (or until action is taken on duty hour policy)

iCOMPARE will consist of a large group of Internal Medicine training programs that meet certain pre-specified eligibility criteria for participation. 63 programs have already enrolled but we may still be able to accept additional programs. Interested programs may check whether they appear to meet these eligibility criteria by visiting the iCOMPARE Request an Application page (link below). Interested programs that do not appear to meet those criteria may still complete the Request an Application form, providing as much information as possible, so that the iCOMPARE team can reassess eligibility. Eligiblity criteria are based on program size, hospital resident-to-bed ratio, and hospital patient volumes in diagnosis groups being measured.

Training programs that participate in the iCOMPARE study will agree to a number of important responsibilities, including:

• Commitment to participate for the entire study year (2015-16)
• Submit a template of, and adhere to, the assigned duty-hour schedule
• Provide trainee contact information for 2015-16
• Encourage timely completion of beginning-of-year and end-of-year surveys by trainees and Program Directors
• Participate in iCOMPARE conference calls

iCOMPARE is led by investigators from the University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University, and the Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School. The study is contingent upon receiving funding, with a decision expected during the summer or fall of 2014.

The ACGME has approved waivers of the duty-hour standards for programs that participate in iCOMPARE.

Click here for a list of detailed questions-and-answers about the iCOMPARE study.

iCOMPARE created a list of programs that appeared to be eligible based on published CMS data. These programs were contacted via email and invited to participate. If your program received such an email but you can no longer find it, email us and we will resend you the invitation email.

If your program did not receive an invitation email, but you would still like to be considered (if, for example, you believe the CMS data for your program may not be current), please send us an email and we will contact you.