The pressures of contemporary medicine are pushing many physicians into states of stress, burnout and distress. Many are leaving their jobs; some are leaving medicine altogether. An alarming number are thinking about suicide, and too many are acting on those thoughts. Caring for the well-being of your physicians has never been more crucial.
How well prepared is your organization to do just that?
Simon Mittal, MD is an internist, health care executive and peer coach who knows what organizations need to do to keep their physicians mentally and emotionally healthy in these stressful times. His article Ensure a Culture of Well-Being with a Physician Well-Being Audit is a check-list of measures to that end.
Dr. Mittal’s suggestions go well beyond familiar action steps, such as encouraging physicians to meditate and eat healthy meals. He takes a holistic view of the conditions under which they work and he asks leaders if they have across-the-board policies in place that reflect concern for physician’s well-being and respect for them as individuals.
Does your organization allow physicians to express themselves freely? Do they have time for self-care? Are workload, scheduling, productivity goals, management, compensation and other organizational factors calibrated with well-being in mind? Are there robust resources available to help physicians when they are struggling, and can they access these resources easily?
To see how your organization stacks up on these ever-more-important criteria, read Dr. Mittal’s article here: Ensure a Culture of Well-Being with a Physician Well-Being Audit.
