Episode 015
Episode 015: Physician Burnout - Why & How to Save the Docs with Dr. Mari Sanchez Wohlever.
It's easy to forget that physicians are people. Certainly when we discuss doctors in our national political debates we forget that there is a critical relationship ignored - the patient-physician relationship. As that relationship is strained with the introduction of electronic medical records, production pressures, administrator rules changes, and malpractice burnout is almost inevitable.
In this discussion, Eric and Mari look at the causes of physician burnout and strategies for treating it. A first strategy that Dr. Sanchez uses while she is coaching doctors to treat their burnout is the creation of a list of what bothers the doctor the most. Then, the first step is to fix one of those small problems to get a feeling of empowerment. Once that first step is solved (like hiring a scribe for data entry or improving templates) then the doctors will regain a feeling of control and be able to better focus on why they practice - the patients.
The conversation is chock full of anecdotes, strategies, and advice on how to approach burnout as a physician or someone who knows and cares for one challenged by burnout. The show notes page is long because of all the references to past episodes I've done and all the great information and books Dr. Sanchez has provided for the world.
show notes
FaithfulMD.com: The main website with all things Dr. Sanchez. Here you can correspond, get access to her articles, find her books, and see about ways to find a coach.
Twitter link to Dr. Sanchez
Schwartz Center: An organization to assist practices and health systems to set up Schwartz Rounds which are closed room group sessions for health care personnel to discuss their struggles.
Finding Meaning in Medicine Groups: These groups are ways for just physicians to meet in small groups (about a dozen or so) to discuss their struggles in practice.
Thrive Physician: Dr. Stacia Dearmin's website addressing the role malpractice has on physician depression, burnout, and suicide.
Doctor, Heal Thyself: A discussion with Dr. Stacia Dearmin on physician suicide, burnout, and malpractice.
Maslach Burnout Inventory: A way to inventory and assess burnout in professionals.
Hey Doc, I'm Over Here. That's Just a Computer Screen: The discussion about electronic health records and how they separate physicians from patients with Dr. Ken Fisher.
Why is Health Insurance so Expensive?: A discussion with Dr. Keith Smith about why insurance companies are ok with expensive health care.
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