San Diego, CA- March 8th, 2022
The health care environment can influence healthcare professionals’ emotional and physical well-being leading to burnout. With the increase of rapid technology and globalization, employees are expected to work at a more intense and rapid pace leading to stress. Given the ever-demanding dynamic of modern hospitals, healthcare workers are faced with longer shifts, increasing workloads, and more cases. Under these circumstances, many physicians go through burnout, leading to emotional exhaustion and causing them to find work no longer meaningful.
Burnout is caused by several factors such as working conditions, time pressure, chaotic environments, low control over work pace, and unfavorable work culture. Physician burnout can be very severe, causing depersonalization, emotional exhaustion, and lack of sense of personal accomplishment. The rising prevalence of physician burnout has created a negative effect in the workplace, as it can potentially affect patient care. Studies have also shown that when a physician is going through burnout it impairs their attention, memory, and executive function. Not only are radiologists feeling the pressure, but residents are also feeling it too. An anonymous survey shows that 36.2% of radiology residents are affected by burnout, which could lead to a future reduction to a seemingly already diminished workforce.
Many healthcare workers suffer from anxiety, stress, fatigue, and low morale making the workplace a hostile environment for some. Research has shown that about 44% of physicians exhibit at least one symptom of burnout. A recent study showed about 60 percent of employees experience anxiety, 47 percent physical stress, 45 percent depression, and 26 percent burnout. There is a clear need for mental wellness support amongst physicians, recognized by both employees and employers. In today’s competitive labor market, employees in the healthcare sector expect their employers to pay more attention to employee wellbeing, compensation, and working conditions.
Organizations should focus on reducing burnout and making the environment a positive place for physicians. Many physicians aren’t aware of symptoms of burnout until sharing personal struggles with colleagues. If left untreated, physician burnout can lead to prolonging issues that can progressively cause challenges for healthcare workers. Some ways to prevent burnout include asking the medical practice for help, making time for yourself, creating quality time with family, delegating time limits, and considering schedule adjustments. To overcome physicians’ reluctance to ask for help, medical practices should stand by ready to offer their support and schedule adjustments for each individual. By recognizing signs of burnout and utilizing strategies to prevent it, hospitals and medical practices can make their organizations more desirable places to work while improving patient care.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many healthcare providers are switching to telemedicine, with an increasing amount of healthcare professionals realizing the benefits of working virtually. Teleradiology is an industry that allows radiologists to have flexibility in their workload, reducing overall stress in clinical care. With the flexibility of teleradiology, physicians can better manage their personal time, and professional time. Working from home has also allowed physicians to have more control of their work-life balance and handle caseloads more efficiently while focusing on overall patient care and well-being. Studies have shown that employees who work from home are more likely to feel happier and productive in their roles.
Interested in a career in teleradiology? Learn more at https://www.statrad.com/jobs/
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