“A global pandemic is creating two extremes for many
doctors—either they are swamped with COVID-related patients in a hot spot or
are struggling financially because patients are afraid to come in for
appointments. The pandemic fallout is exacerbating a growing burnout problem in
the profession, and doctors have become the targets of politicians looking to
shift blame.” (MedicalEconomics.com)
According to recent studies, healthcare practitioners are
showing high rates of PTSD, anxiety, insomnia, and depression. These are
brought on by being adjacent to death and suffering in unprecedented rates as
well as losing colleagues and family members. (Urooj et al. 2020) 1
However, while it may seem that the pandemic created this
crisis, it has only in fact exacerbated previous trends. Physician burnout has
been steadily increasing over the past decades in addition to an increase in
the cost of practicing medicine, higher insurance costs, higher litigation
rates, increased patient volume, poorer payer contracts, more elaborate
insurance protocols to contend with, and a host of other problems.
The most pertinent problems facing physicians today
include:
An inability to hire quality staff due to the nursing and
medical staff shortage related to an increased prevalence of illness as well as
an aging population. Smaller practices are also unable to match the contracts
of larger practices and often lose out on experienced and competent staff.
With the widespread transition to tele-health, payer
contracts are being re-negotiated and physicians are receiving a lesser
compensation for treatment under newer agreements. (https://www.amerisourcebergen.com/insights/physician-practices/healthcare-payer-trends-in-2021)
One half of all physicians will face a medical malpractice
lawsuit in their careers. (https://www.medicaleconomics.com/view/top-challenges-number-6-avoiding-lawsuit)
42% of physicians reported burn-out in 2020. (https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-physician-relationships/5-stats-on-physician-burnout-in-2020.html#:~:text=Forty%2Dtwo%20percent%20of%20physicians,30%20to%20Nov.)
Increased competition among practices due to non-localized
insurance networks expanding options. There is an increased perception that
patients are demanding the same conveniences from their doctors that they would
at restaurants or stores. There are now more urgent care and retail clinics
available than ever before and the patient demands are greater than ever
before.
An increase in denials and a lower reimbursement rate in
most major insurance networks due to ever increasing complexity of
documentation and coding.
“Physician suicide
is topic of growing professional and public health concern. Despite working to
improve the health of others, physicians often sacrifice their own well-being
to do so. Furthermore, there are systemic barriers in place that discourage
self-care and help-seeking behaviors among physicians. This article will
discuss the relevant epidemiology, risk factors, and barriers to treatment,
then explore solutions to address this alarming trend.” (Kalmoe et al. 2019)2
“Physicians have higher rates of
burnout, depressive symptoms, and suicide risk than the general population.
Physicians and trainees can experience high degrees of mental health distress
and are less likely than other members of the public to seek mental health
treatment. Physicians report several barriers to seeking mental health care,
including time constraints, hesitancy to draw attention to self-perceived
weakness, and concerns about reputation and confidentiality.” (https://www.datocms-assets.com/12810/1578319045-physician-mental-health-suicide-one-pager.pdf)
[1] Expectations, Fears and Perceptions of doctors during
Covid-19 Pandemic
Uzma Urooj,1 Asma Ansari,2 Asifa Siraj,3 Sumaira Khan,4 and Humaira Tariq5
Pak J Med Sci. 2020 May; 36(COVID19-S4): S37–S42.
[2] Physician Suicide: A Call to Action
Molly C. Kalmoe, MD, Matthew B. Chapman, MD, Jessica A. Gold, MD, and Andrea M. Giedinghagen, MD
Mo Med. 2019
May-Jun; 116(3): 211–216.
