Physician burnout leads to mistakes
By Admin | December 04, 2017
Doctors take care of us, but who’s taking care of the doctor? Studies are showing that doctors are increasingly hitting burnout status and suffering from depression, which in turn leads to their making medical errors.
When doctors suffer, so can their patients.
“Physician wellness” is a trending topic nowadays, gaining popularity with those who seek to help doctors unload the mental burdens of taking care of an increasing number of patients and paperwork without additional help or time.
Using the Maslach burnout inventory, researchers have learned that while doctors tend to do well when it comes to feelings of personal accomplishment, they become depersonalized and emotionally exhausted, often becoming cynical towards their patients.
In pediatric residents, burnout rates hover between 55 and 60 percent, and that’s after hour restrictions and other methods of trying to prevent burnout.
For more, read “Taking Care of the Physician” by the New York Times.
