Now more than ever, there are two sides to practicing medicine. There’s the fulfilling side, the parts of each day that include improving patient health. And then there are the ever-increasing parts of our days that remain pressure-packed with data-entry and documentation, insurance claims and electronic health record-keeping.
This month, we expand on the wellness theme we introduced in the August reader survey. This time, I’d like to ask for your opinion on the downside of being a healthcare professional. For background, I want readers to understand that all of the answers provided in this survey are confidential. I have no way of knowing who has responded – only that the aggregate comes by way of those who read this newsletter.
As such, I encourage as many people as possible to respond and to answer as honestly as possibly. That’s the best way to truly understand everyone’s experience.
1. How frequently do you leave work feeling discouraged, overextended, unfulfilled or uncertain about keeping up the pace?
- Often (at least once a week but not daily) (32%, 24 Votes)
- Rarely (once a month or less) (27%, 20 Votes)
- Occasionally (once a week or less) (27%, 20 Votes)
- Always (14%, 10 Votes)
Total Voters: 74
Loading ...2. Compared to what you expected, working in healthcare is __________.
- Less rewarding than what you expected (45%, 33 Votes)
- As rewarding as you envisioned (32%, 23 Votes)
- More rewarding than what you expected (15%, 11 Votes)
- So disappointing that I would not recommend the profession to others (8%, 6 Votes)
Total Voters: 73
Loading ...3. At work, I would describe myself on most days as ____________ .
- More positive than negative (37%, 27 Votes)
- Mostly optimistic/positive (33%, 24 Votes)
- More negative than positive (19%, 14 Votes)
- Mostly pessimistic/negative (10%, 7 Votes)
- Other (please use comments section to explain) (1%, 1 Votes)
Total Voters: 73
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AUGUST READER SURVEY RESULTS
The August survey last month kicked off an exploration the role wellness plays in the lives of those who reader this newsletter, the majority of whom work in or around healthcare. Here are the results from that poll:
Dr. Robert Pearl is the former CEO of The Permanente Medical Group, the nation’s largest physician group. He’s the bestselling author of “Mistreated: Why We Think We’re Getting Good Health Care–And Why We’re Usually Wrong” and a Stanford University professor. Follow him on Twitter @RobertPearlMD.
