Rising burnout in healthcare, and solutions that may help.
Physician burnout reportedly costs the U.S. healthcare system US$3.4 billion annually. In addition, burnout affects physician wellbeing, job satisfaction and patient outcomes. Thus, it has always been a significant challenge for physicians. Still, now that the phenomenon has been thrust into the spotlight, there’s hope that institutions can support their staff, said Dr Alain Sabri, chairman and residency director of Otolaryngology at Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City. Speaking at the ENT Conference at Arab Health, Dr Sabri explained the causes and impact of burnout on individual physicians and the institutions they work for and the communities they serve. Burnout affects millions of people today as COVID-19 continues to take a toll on the general public. However, physicians are arguably impacted more acutely, said Dr Sabri. The issue is that people don’t recognise burnout, and they don’t address it when it happens. The term is so commonly used that Dr Sabri believes it is underestimated when it does happen.
“Burnout isn’t having a bad day at work, not liking your boss, or being frustrated if things don’t go according to plan,” he said. “MDs are 15 times more likely to experience burnout. Forty-five per cent of doctors report that they would quit if they could afford to.” At the Arab Health Family Medicine Conference, a panel of mental health professionals stressed the importance of preventing burnout and creating support pathways for healthcare workers.
“A lot of staff have lost colleagues, family members and friends. Certainly, in the UK and the UAE, we have a lot of international medical staff, particularly from India.,” Dr Subodh Dave, Dean of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in London, said.
“I’m part of that international staff cohort, and I haven’t seen my parents in 18 months. For junior colleagues and medical students, it’s even more isolating to be away from family for that long.” While Dr Nahida Nayaz Ahmed, Consultant Psychiatrist and Chair of Mental Health at SEHA and Department of Health Abu Dhabi, quoted a December 2020 UAE study on the mental health impact of COVID. “Our survey shows young, single, female expatriates working in healthcare are the most affected, particularly in nursing,” Dr Ahmed said. The direct impact on staff mental health has led to more healthcare workers prioritising their own wellbeing, a trend that Dr Dave hopes will continue long after. “Broadly, I feel that the direct impact is a rise in healthcare staff seeking help. It’s the new cohort that mostly needs support,” he added.
Margaux Blignaut, Director of Rehabilitation, Amana Healthcare, described how the psychological wellbeing of staff and patients in the UAE, was “significantly affected” at the beginning of the pandemic and continues to be an issue.
Patients were, furthermore, cancelling rehabilitation services at the beginning of the pandemic because of “heightened anxiety” over healthcare professionals entering their homes. In KSA, many rehabilitation patients were anxious, said Shreemathie Somduth, Rehabilitation Nursing Director, Rehabilitation Hospital KFMC. Still, they benefited from clear explanations from the rehabilitation team on a daily basis, and online counselling was additionally available. According to Fahin Anwar, Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine, Cambridge University Hospitals, the most significant effect seen by rehabilitation services in the UK among patients was “low mood” and lack of engagement due to lockdown and restricted family visits. However, past respiratory diseases showed that technology could be used to manage patients in rehabilitation, said Anwar. Specific areas of its use before the pandemic in the UK included speech-language therapy, patient follow-up and monitoring, telepsychology consultations and tele-exercise group training.