All the published research seems to suggest that, as a group, doctors are stressed. This state of affairs is understandable. The profession is notoriously difficult and physicians have had a harder time recently than at other times in history for obvious reasons.
But this level of stress didn’t seem to dog medics in the past. Yes, they had to do challenging medical work. Yet the pressures they faced daily seemed lower.
Why Are Doctors So Stressed?
Doctors’ high-stress levels come from two origins: changes in working practices and the general culture of stress that we currently live in.
Let’s start with working practices. Currently, doctors face too many bureaucratic tasks. They’re not able to focus on medicine. Instead, they have to push paperwork all day long, which is tiresome and takes them away from the roles they signed up for.
Another issue is the long hours. While most medics have contracts under forty hours, many wind up working overtime because of administration, adding between 10 and 20 hours to their working week. When added up, this can lead some doctors to work more than 65 hours, which is often unsustainable over the long term, particularly when paired with poor diet and lack of exercise.
There are also issues regarding information technology, particularly HIPAA in the U.S. Doctors simply don’t understand the system and don’t know how to utilize it to remain compliant. High fines and the constant threat of litigation puts many on edge, even though their task is as simple as collecting and implementing data.
There are solutions in place, though, for many of these issues. Some professional bodies are now recommending that doctors hire scribes, like something out of ancient Egypt. A second person will take notes during doctors’ consultations, allowing physicians to focus solely on care. Scribes can then update electronic health record systems and obey all the usual data protection requirements.
There’s also scope for adding more automation to the doctor’s office environment. New technology and software now mean that many tasks that physicians traditionally performed are redundant. Scheduling and other tasks can now be handed over to machines.
Surgeries can also consider outsourcing EMR management to third parties. Administrators can manage integrated records software, allowing doctors to get on with their usual jobs.
Can Better Training Help?
All of these methods will likely help improve the situation for doctors to some degree. But, in all likelihood, high-stress levels will remain. Physicians will still be susceptible to the intrinsic characteristics of the job, such as the stress of patients dying and the constant need for their time and attention.
According to reports, nearly half of medical trainees report burnout. They are simply unable to keep up with demands and remain functional at the same time.
The reasons for burnout vary considerably. But, for many, it is the result of debt, and whether they will actually qualify as medics after all the effort that they put in.
So how can training adapt?
Make It More Focused On Simulated Situations
In the past, doctors learned their craft on the job. It simply wasn’t possible to simulate an appendectomy. You just had to go ahead and do it, usually with the assistance of a more senior medical colleague.
But with healthcare simulation software that’s changing. It’s now possible to get a sense of what an operation or procedure is like in virtual reality before actually having to go out and do it in practice.
For medics, technology like this is a godsend. It means that even experienced professionals can attempt complex treatments in a simulated environment. They can continuously perform best practices in a virtual world until they feel confident doing it for real on live patients.
While the simulation isn’t perfect, it has the ability to reduce stress for doctors. Operating on a computer screen will never be the same as on a live patient, but it can be close.
Teach Values And Grit
Medical training is often technical and practical. Rarely does it focus on areas that will help doctors cope with the challenges of the job? Educators implicitly assume that that just happens automatically.
However, training strategies could change. It might actually be better to give doctors the psychological tools they need to manage the pressures and strains of the job. Calmer, happier physicians are better able to serve patients, regardless of their level of technical skill.
To achieve this level of well-being, medical trainers and schools should borrow from the entrepreneurial world. Here, personal development strategists teach various techniques to help business leaders remain level-headed, even in the face of multiple challenging situations.
Doctors need the same kind of approach. The job is always going to involve death and suffering. It’s just a question of trying to find a way through that.
Reduce Training Hours And Improve Quality
Higher training hours are seen as a way to produce competent, qualified doctors faster. But the costs of such strategies are tremendous. Doctors can’t keep up with demands, and many simply give up.
The alternative is a kinder, more focused approach to training. Here, schools and academies would take advantage of doctors’ high energy levels and eagerness to learn. Short, sharp bursts of learning would work similarly to the four-day work week. Training less but allowing doctors to be healthy and happy, would change the dynamic completely. Doctors would learn more during each training session, negating the need for grueling schedules.
Wrapping Up
From the data, it is clear that something needs to be done about doctors’ stress levels. It’s affecting patients and impacting treatment.
Fortunately, there are some ideas for how to improve physician’s career trajectories but many improvements still need to be made. Training must include elements that protect medical professionals against stress and give them the tools they need to cope with the demands of their work. Cultures also need to change to be more forgiving to people in the profession who are using the information available to them to the best of their abilities.