Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Doctors ignoring fatigue

The work of a physician is extremely demanding both mentally and physically. So rest is crucial for our best performance benefit.  But during our rigorous training we sacrifice sleepless nights despite fatigue for the apparent benefit of our training but it's now obvious that this practice may be harmful to our clinical performance.   Current residents in training have benefited from restricted work hours but this has yet to be adopted for attendings in practice. So until then we must make it a point to take breaks throughout the work day, get at least 7 hours of sleep, and go to the spa when we can!  Food for thought. Check out the article below.

http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2010/12/physicians-ignore-fatigue.html

Monday, October 25, 2010

Again heal yourself first when you're sick!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/15/health/15brfs-DOCTORHEALTH_BRF.html?_r=1

Saturday, October 16, 2010

When the Doc's not in the house!

     Every physician is entitled to call in sick when we're ill, which happens from time to time! Each of you may have different criteria.  For me if I'm febrile with a temp over 100.4 and feeling like crap that's a sign that I need to stay home to heal myself, and prevent spreading any bugs to my patients and co workers! Others may even stay home if they're burnout and need a mental health day which is very understandable for our well being and for our patient's good!  See the NY Times article below by Dr. P. Chen on when the doctor still comes in to work when he/she should be at home:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/14/health/views/14chen.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=health 

Monday, October 11, 2010

Drs and health professionals deserve a massage yay it's Spa week!!

Get your spa on this week with $50 specials! A regular spa treat is well deserved in the line of work that we do! I indulge in spa massages a few times a year and hope YOU do too! Check out:

http://www.spaweek.com/

Drs feeling the burnout!

There's no doubt that being a physician is a huge responsibility. All day long patients' lives are in our hands but seeing 20 of them a day is draining, even 4-5 can drain you! No wonder doctors get burned out. And heaven forbid if patients have social issues.  Or the ones who have a laundry list of everything hurts complaints like it's the drivethru, or those who are non complaint and don't follow care plans. What about ones that don't take their medications to those who demand unnecessary meds like antibiotics, narcotics, or even referrals.  Patients can even question your knowledge and clinical judgment, or be just plain mean, rude, demanding and/or unsympathetic!

And the internet doesn't help often sources of information are unreliable sites not developed by medical professionals, just feeding into those with anxiety, hypochondriacs or folks with some education thinking they now know more than you!

All this adds up to burnout and the makings of many not so pleasant days when physicians don't have enough support of any kind at work.  And if one has any family, personal, health or any life issues seeing these types of patients doesn't help.

See link article by Dr. A Schroll from http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2010/06/physicians-focus-wellness-prevent-burnout.htmlKevinMD blog.

AdjoaMD

Saturday, October 9, 2010

'Prayer for the Physician' by Maimonides & AAFP on Burnout to wellness

Before I begin the holy work of healing the creations of your hands, I place my eternity before the throne of Your glory that You grant me strength of spirit and fortitude to faithfully execute my work.  
Let not desire for wealth or benefit blind me from seeing truth.  
Deem me worth of seeing in the sufferer who seeks my advice - a person - neither rich nor poor, friend of foe, good man or bad, or a man in need, show me only the man.

If doctors, wiser than I, seek to help me understand, grant me the desire to learn from them, for the knowledge of healing is boundless.  
But when fools deride me, give me fortitude.  Let my love for my profession strengthen my resolve to withstand the derision even of men of high station.  Illuminate the way for me, for any lapse in my knowledge can bring illness and death upon Your creations.  I beseech You, merciful and gracious God, strengthen me in body and soul, and instill within me a perfect spirit. 

http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/resident-student-focus/20100309residentwellness.html

Doctors and suicide risk

Last week's NY Times health section featured two articles, one entitled, "When Doctors get depressed" based on the article below on doctors and suicide. I was shocked that suicide rates are so alarmingly high among fellow doctors and this fact is not at all discussed in our clinical training.  I was aware of anesthesiologists having high rates of drug addition.  It's so disturbing that the suicide rate is 4x higher in female physicians when in the general population it's the reverse.  How heartbreaking that after dedicating your life to heal others a doctor can be brought to take his or her own life.  The job of modern day physicians is extremely stressful, I've experienced being emotionally drained after a packed day of seeing patients! We get little empathy or sympathy from patients or administrators.  Doctors, medical students, and health professionals need a lot more emotional support when burnout arises and to be assured that it's not a sign of weakness but of strength to seek out mental help. Physician wellness needs to be an essential and crucial part of our everyday career existence!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/health/views/07chen.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=medical%20students%20depression&st=cse


Another link regarding physicians and suicide is:

http://www.phfl.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1:versatility-3-intro&catid=1:latest&Itemid=2

A book entitled, 'Delivering Dr. Emelia,' looks at a young Ob-Gyn's emotional reaction to a malpractice case.

The origin of the phrase 'physician, heal thy self,' as stated in Luke 4:23 and is one that we need to take to heart.