{"id":4555,"date":"2013-01-17T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2013-01-17T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.poweryourpractice.com\/?p=4555"},"modified":"2013-01-17T18:00:00","modified_gmt":"2013-01-17T23:00:00","slug":"preventing-medical-burnout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carecloud.com\/continuum\/preventing-medical-burnout\/","title":{"rendered":"Preventing Medical Burnout: The Increasing Dangers of Physician Fatigue"},"content":{"rendered":"

Doctors spend so much energy worrying about the health of their patients, often times their own issues go unresolved.\u00a0 Consequently, physician incidences of medical burnout are increasing at an alarming rate.<\/p>\n

In fact, career fatigue is more common among doctors than any other U.S. worker.\u00a0<\/strong>A recent study by the Archives of Internal Medicine<\/em><\/a> found that out of 7,000 participating physicians more than 41% reported at least one symptom of burnout.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not talking about a few individuals who are disorganized or not functioning well under pressure; we\u2019re talking about one out of every two doctors who have already survived rigorous training,\u201d said Dr. Tait D. Shanafelt, the study’s lead author and a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.<\/p>\n

What is burnout?
\n<\/strong>Burnout is characterized by a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. Although it can occur in any field, burnout occurs most amongst people in the caring professions of medicine, nursing, social work, counseling, and teaching.<\/p>\n

Incidences are even greater among specialties at the front line of care such as family medicine, emergency medicine, and general internal medicine.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The danger lies in the fact that physicians who suffer from burnout are more disposed to errors, provide less quality of care and receive lower patient satisfaction. It can lead to higher rates of depression, alcoholism, and even suicide.<\/p>\n

“Burnout can lead to misdiagnosis,” said Paul Griner, MD, professor emeritus at the University of Rochester (N.Y.) School of Medicine and Dentistry and author of\u00a0The Power of Patient Stories: Learning Moments in Medicine<\/em>. “Doctors need to be in tune with their patients, asking, listening, and connecting the dots. They can’t do that effectively if they\u2019re burned out.”<\/p>\n

Symptoms
\n<\/strong>Burnout is a gradual process that increases over time. It doesn\u2019t happen from one day to the next but can sneak up on you if you\u2019re not paying attention to the warning signs.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Physical Signs<\/strong><\/td>\nEmotional Signs<\/strong><\/td>\nBehavioral Signs<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
    \n
  • Feeling tired and drained most of the time<\/li>\n
  • Lower immunity, feeling sick more often<\/li>\n
  • Frequent headaches, back pain, muscle aches<\/li>\n
  • Change in appetite or sleep habits<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
\n
    \n
  • Emotional exhaustion<\/li>\n
  • Detachment or de-personalization from patients<\/li>\n
  • Sense of failure and self-doubt<\/li>\n
  • Feeling helpless, trapped and defeated<\/li>\n
  • Loss of motivation<\/li>\n
  • Increased cynicism<\/li>\n
  • Decreased sense of accomplishment<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
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