The International Conference on Physician Health, hosted by the American Medical Association, the Canadian Medical Assn. and the British Medical Assn., met recently and declared that there shouldn't be any stigma associated with physician burnout and depression. To promote a healthier climate for physicians, the group recommends a "need for peer support and workplace interventions for impaired physicians". Of course this will lead to more reports to each state board of medicine, and subsequently, more actions taken by those boards (they have a quota to keep). This is turn leads to more doctors having to tell each insurance company about those actions or complaints. The doctor will also have to report those complaints on every application to a new job or new license in another state. Oh, and each state board of medicine will have to publish this information publicly on their websites (they have public pressure on them) which will lead to patients reading about it, which will in turn help them in lawsuits against said doctor or help to kill his or her practice. So, yeah, I don't see any stigma here. Do you?
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Those are all excellent points Doug. Funny to see the AMA outsourcing any raison d'etre it ever had.
I don't see any stigma either. If medical researchers saw a trend where accountants were suffering from burnout and depression would they suggest changes to the profession? Or would they just recommend coping strategies for those suffering? I am afraid it would be the latter because of the mindset of treating the patient in front of you.
A more interesting proposal would be to change the practice of medicine so that there is less burnout and depression. I think however that physicians are so used to playing blame the patient that it is not possible. Even if they are the patient. A lot of machismo like pride in the "I do it why can't they?" part of being a physician will keep the practice of medicine from changing. As I recall a decade or two ago Harvard Medical School recommended changing the entire residency system. I understand it is how hospitals fund their operations and they hold a lot of responsibility but it could change if doctors wanted it to.
Unionize. Opps! Did I said that out loud?
If we are going to wait until workplace interventions are necessary then we all suffer.
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