Stress Awareness Month has been held every April since 1992 to raise awareness of the causes and cures for our modern stress epidemic. The pandemic has had a hugely detrimental effect on the nation’s mental health and sense of community. Disrupted social lives, the cancellation of large gatherings, travel restrictions, and working from home have kept us in one place for long periods of time. However, one of the positives to emerge from this unparalleled situation has been the community spirit and support shown by so many to so many.
Social isolation is an important risk factor for both deteriorating mental health. As we emerge from the pandemic, it is imperative that the community support experienced by many people during this challenging time continues. Although restrictions have mainly been lifted, people need support now more than ever as they adjust to a new way of living.
But one phenomenon that had existed way before the pandemic is the issue of burnout among physicians. In 2019, experts at Harvard University and other health organizations in the United States had already declared physician burnout a public health crisis. In their paper, experts from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the Harvard Global Health Institute, the Massachusetts Medical Society, and the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association recommended ways to address the prevalence of burnout among physicians and other health care providers. Recommendations included:
- appointing an executive-level chief wellness officer (CWO) at every major health care organization;
- providing support for those experiencing burnout; and
- improving the efficiency of EHRs.
By 2025, the HHS has predicted a shortage of up to 90,000 physicians, and a major driver of this shortage will be the loss of practicing clinicians due to burnout, the report stated. One estimate from previous research showed that the lost revenue per full-time-equivalent physician was $990,000, and the cost of recruiting and replacing a physician can range from $500,000 to $1 million.
This has only worsened amid the pandemic, as physicians struggle to maintain patient volume while being understaffed, stay up to date on changing guidelines and treatment options for COVID-19, address vaccine hesitancy, and more.
Clinician distress is at an all-time high during the pandemic, and its consequences are devastating. More and more healthcare workers are experiencing burnout and distress than ever before, and the impact is significant:
- Increased likelihood of major medical error and malpractice lawsuits
- Record-setting turnover rates and staff shortages
- Health practitioners dying of suicide-related to work distress
Resources for Combating Burnout
Stress can be debilitating, and it can cause and/or aggravate health problems. According to The Physicians Foundation, 61% of physicians in the U.S. reported burnout in 2021, “an incredible increase” from the 40% who reported it in 2018.
Health care systems and practices across the country are promoting strategies to address burnout and improve well-being among physicians.
One online resource that is available to all physicians is the Mayo Well-Being Index, which can assess burnout and emotional health. After completing the tool’s short survey, users receive a list of different treatment resources that are available at the local and national level.
Stress First Aid is another tool, developed by researchers at the Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD. It is a manual that provides a framework for engaging in self-care and coworker support. It can be used by teams and individuals within teams to identify stress reactions among team members and provide support to help reduce poor long-term outcomes that may result from unhealthy stress.
Electronic Health Records
Electronic health records (EHRs) have long been cited as one of the major causes of burnout – they are inefficient and require physicians to spend a lot of time entering data into the record just so they can spend more time reviewing it. This is why doctors, as well as many others in the medical profession, are seeking out new, efficient ways to enter patient data, including their workflow with electronic health records.
Electronic health records are many things to most people: An endless stream of data, a common cause of staff burnout, and sometimes the bane of doctors' existence. In an effort to reduce burnout, however, some hospitals are looking at EHRs in a different light.
Sotera Wireless's ViSi Mobile® Patient Monitoring System is a platform for comprehensive vital signs monitoring that keeps clinicians connected to their patients, whether in bed, in transport, or while ambulating. Featuring comfortable body-worn sensors that allow for freedom of movement, the system enables accurate, continuous monitoring of all core vital signs with beat-to-beat, noninvasive blood pressure, as well as patient activity and posture. ViSi Mobile is a system designed to enhance patient safety, allowing early detection of patient deterioration and connecting clinicians with their patients anywhere, any time.
ViSi Mobile bridges the gap between intermittent spot-checking and ICU intensive monitoring. With continuous surveillance monitoring of key vital signs, early recognition and detection of patient deterioration enable clinicians to make timely and effective interventions. Studies have shown that continuous vital signs monitoring is associated with significant improvements in key clinical outcomes in patients treated in the general care ward.
Without additional effective solutions to burnout, the physician workforce is at stake. And since stress is a normal part of human existence — nobody is immune to it — it’s important to arm ourselves with knowledge so that we recognize when stress rears its ugly head.
Sources:
https://www.stress.org/april-is-stress-awareness-month
https://nationaltoday.com/stress-awareness-month/
https://www.stress.org.uk/national-stress-awareness-month/
https://www.healio.com/news/primary-care/20220318/ways-to-reduce-physician-burnout