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A thread on Doctor well-being
There has been a lot of talk about reducing hours for doctors in order to improve well-being and work-life balance. But I believe this to be a false premise.
The hours that doctor are working are reducing more and more, but burnout is *increasing*
There has been a lot of talk about reducing hours for doctors in order to improve well-being and work-life balance. But I believe this to be a false premise.
The hours that doctor are working are reducing more and more, but burnout is *increasing*
“Hours of work” is one ingredient in the plethora of things that have been wrong in the past.
I believe that “hours” have had disproportionate attention, because they are a metric that is relatively easy to measure, can be audited, discussed, and written in a contract (and law)
I believe that “hours” have had disproportionate attention, because they are a metric that is relatively easy to measure, can be audited, discussed, and written in a contract (and law)
But well-being is about the pursuit of meaningfulness in life.
It is well known that people less valued, or treated badly are more likely to go off sick, or have worse mental health, or leave their job. Working hours is one small (but conveniently measurable metric).
It is well known that people less valued, or treated badly are more likely to go off sick, or have worse mental health, or leave their job. Working hours is one small (but conveniently measurable metric).
As hours are reduced in medicine, doctors find less continuity of care, fewer opportunities for growth and training, less belonging to a true *team*, and more tasks for patients they don’t even know.
This leads to fewer hours, but *less* meaning, that leads to poor well-being.
This leads to fewer hours, but *less* meaning, that leads to poor well-being.
The over-emphasis on working hours at the expense of an examination of working practices is lazy, and substitutes a hard problem “how do we improve the working conditions of doctors?” with an easier problem: “how do we reduce the working hours of doctors?”
Hours of work ARE important, and in the past, doctors suffered (even died) because of poor conditions including long hours.
But beware the trap of letting hours be the main focus. Because then the lazy will say: “Look, you have fewer hours. It’s your *resilience* that is poor”
But beware the trap of letting hours be the main focus. Because then the lazy will say: “Look, you have fewer hours. It’s your *resilience* that is poor”
Moving forward, I believe doctors should fashion their working lives to find meaning, and seek opportunities for growth, training and patient care. Organisations that lobby for doctor well-being should focus on working practices *as well* as working hours, not the latter alone.
