July 29, 2021 – Much attention and literature has focused on increasing doctor burnout that has worsened during the global COVID-19 pandemic. But according to a new survey, this burnout also has an impact on patients.
The study, published by virtual health technology company Wheel and independent research firm PureSpectrum, found that 80% of the 2,000 patients surveyed noticed that their doctor or nurse was burned out on a health visit last year. Specifically, these respondents said that their health care provider was very stressed and exhausted, with 70% of them saying that they were concerned about it. In addition, 1 out of 3 respondents stated that burnout among doctors had a negative effect on the quality of treatment.
“Our healthcare workers suffer from an incredible amount of trauma, burnout and grief,” said Michelle Davey, CEO and co-founder of Wheel. “This survey shows that our failure to provide clinicians with the support and relief they deserve is damaging the overall health of our country.”
Is it burnout or apathy?
Wheel conducted the survey to determine the cost of doctor burnout to patients and concluded that it had a negative impact on patient health and satisfaction.
Mark Greenawald, MD, who leads the PeerRxMed online peer support process for physicians, says he isn’t surprised that patients perceive their physicians’ stressful lives.
“You can’t call it burnout; more like, ‘My doctor won’t listen,’ ”says Greenawald, family doctor at the Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, VA.
In the Wheel survey, 1 in 4 respondents said their doctor visit felt rushed and their providers didn’t have the time or energy to listen to their questions.
Rushed visits and lack of energy from doctors could lead to medical errors that cause 250,000 deaths annually in the United States, according to an 8-year study by Johns Hopkins University Medical School. Misdiagnosis results in an estimated 40,000 to 80,000 deaths nationwide annually, and an estimated 12 million Americans receive diagnostic errors in primary care annually, a third of which results in serious or permanent harm or even death.
The impact of the global pandemic on medical stress
Public opposition to COVID-19 security measures like wearing masks, conspiracy theories that discourage many from getting vaccinated, and the general refusal to believe that scientific facts all lead to a public health crisis regardless of COVID-19 itself contribute. And this can demand the energy of doctors to fight the pandemic every day. In the Wheel survey, 2 in 3 respondents thought public opposition to basic precautionary measures could increase doctor burnout.
Another factor, the survey suggests, could be the decline in public appreciation for doctors’ efforts during the pandemic. There were public screenings across the country in the early months to celebrate doctors’ efforts to fight COVID-19 – people posted signs in their windows and courtyards and cheered from their apartment balconies. In the meantime, public enthusiasm has largely declined. Three out of five respondents said they noticed the increasing lack of recognition from health workers.
In addition, resident doctors have also served as psychiatrists for patients, although this is not their specialty.
Almost 1 in 3 patients who took the Wheel survey said they relied on their GPs for mental health problems rather than discussing them with a trained mental health specialist. But doctors have been open to patient discussions about mental health issues, which goes against the stigma of discussing mental health as a health professional. Almost 1 in 8 respondents said that their doctor or nurse personally struggled with mental health problems during their health visit.
From “Be like Fauci” to “It’s not worth it”
Early on in the pandemic, the “Fauci effect” drove young people to medicine. But more than a year after the pandemic, the effects of COVID-19 and the burden on medical professionals are less positive.
Forty percent of respondents said they don’t want their children to enter the health care profession as doctors today, and 1 in 3 respondents said it wasn’t worth investing in medical school. One in four respondents said they personally knew a doctor who would change careers if they could, which widespread reports confirm that doctors are fed up with their work.
“We train to look after people, but we didn’t necessarily train for that,” says Greenawald. “For many of us, it has crossed our threshold to control and manage it. It has started to come out more. “
The country’s health system is already suffering from a shortage of doctors and nurses, so a lack of measures to address medical stress could exacerbate an already worrying situation.
“When the number of applications to medical schools begins to decline, the health industry needs to take a close look in the mirror and realize that it is overdue to prioritize clinical experience,” the Wheel study said.
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Michelle Davey, CEO and Co-Founder of Wheel.
Mark Greenawald, MD, creator, PeerRxMed program.
Wheel: “What happens if a clinician with burnout enters the examination room?”
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