The wellbeing of physicians remains a concern as workplace priorities often do not focus on the needs of medical professionals, according to the Colorado Physician Health Program (CPHP). The organization began addressing physician work stress and burnout in 1995, conducting a study in 1999-2000 that revealed most participants experienced significant work-related stress. At that time, institutions were largely unaware of these issues and did not survey their physician communities.
It was only after research by Tait Shanafelt and his team at the Mayo Clinic linked work stress to suicidal thoughts among doctors and medical errors that workplaces began to acknowledge the problem. Despite this increased awareness, studies indicate that work stress and burnout remain widespread across medical specialties.
Efforts by hospitals, health maintenance organizations, and some malpractice carriers have focused on encouraging physicians to build resilience. However, CPHP maintains that physicians are already highly resilient and that this trait may have led organizations to underestimate their struggles. “At CPHP, we knew that physicians were already among the most resilient groups of people anywhere, and did not suffer from a resilience deficit. Far from it, our resilience contributed to our organizations believing that we were not suffering,” stated a representative from CPHP.
The organization has also promoted wellness principles such as emotional, physical, occupational, intellectual, social, spiritual, and financial health. Most participants report benefits from these initiatives. Still, CPHP notes that focusing solely on individual resilience is insufficient: “One of the most important things we’ve learned is how little is accomplished when we only address resilience and wellness.”
Research now recognizes that systemic issues within healthcare environments are key contributors to physician distress. Shanafelt’s group has made nine recommendations for workplace improvements but these are rarely implemented.
Ownership of healthcare institutions has become increasingly concentrated in large corporations where profit is prioritized over staff welfare. “The fact is that the ownership of health care institutions is concentrated in fewer and fewer hands, the larger corporate world. Profit and wealth are the goal,” according to CPHP.
While some companies provide supportive environments for clinicians, they remain exceptions rather than the rule. Wellness committees and chief wellness officers exist in many organizations but data suggest their impact on physician wellbeing is limited: “Improvements in physician wellbeing brought about by these initiatives are for the most part on the margins of workplace challenges.”
CPHP continues its collaboration with various groups while advocating for broader systemic changes to address ongoing challenges faced by physicians.
