Great leadership skills are needed in all kinds of jobs, and the field of medicine is no exception. Considering the current issues and overall concerns in physician management and operations, physician leaders are needed now more than ever.
Burnout in the Workplace
According to a 2019 online survey by Medscape, around 44% of physicians feel burned out, while 11% are colloquially depressed and 4% are clinically depressed. Despite being lower than 2011’s 45% burnout rate (as surveyed by Mayo Clinic Proceedings), this remains a worrying number of doctors that feel powerless and exhausted with their work.
Distribution of Work
The distribution of workload in a hospital or medical facility can often be uneven. According to a qualitative study published in the NCBI website, a number of doctors are concerned about inequalities in workload distribution. Concerns about proper communication were also brought up. Physician leaders are often the custodians of this responsibility, and therein lies a potential problem.
A Leader for Wellness
Physician leaders should care about personal and professional well-being. An effective physician leader involves evenly distributing workload, efficiency in schedule management, and carefully allotting time and resources that ensures time-off; encouraging self-care and personal well-being in an environment of constant burnout can help mitigate such adverse effects.
Conclusion
Burnout is a serious problem in the medical community. Physician leaders have to tackle various tasks and problems in their field including the well-being of their peers and their own is vital in the long run. We at Healthy MD CME value great leadership skills, and we sincerely hope that there will be a growing trend in mindful medical leaders in the future.