Physician wellness: a missing quality indicator

Lancet. 2009 Nov 14;374(9702):1714-21. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61424-0.

Abstract

When physicians are unwell, the performance of health-care systems can be suboptimum. Physician wellness might not only benefit the individual physician, it could also be vital to the delivery of high-quality health care. We review the work stresses faced by physicians, the barriers to attending to wellness, and the consequences of unwell physicians to the individual and to health-care systems. We show that health systems should routinely measure physician wellness, and discuss the challenges associated with implementation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Psychological
  • Attitude of Health Personnel
  • Burnout, Professional* / epidemiology
  • Burnout, Professional* / prevention & control
  • Burnout, Professional* / psychology
  • Cost of Illness
  • Health Promotion / organization & administration*
  • Health Status*
  • Humans
  • Job Satisfaction
  • Medical Errors / prevention & control
  • Medical Errors / statistics & numerical data
  • Mental Health
  • Models, Organizational
  • Occupational Health* / statistics & numerical data
  • Physician's Role / psychology
  • Physicians* / organization & administration
  • Physicians* / psychology
  • Professional Autonomy
  • Professional Impairment / psychology
  • Professional Impairment / statistics & numerical data
  • Quality Indicators, Health Care / organization & administration*
  • Risk Factors
  • Self Care / psychology
  • Self Care / statistics & numerical data
  • Substance-Related Disorders / epidemiology
  • Substance-Related Disorders / prevention & control
  • Substance-Related Disorders / psychology
  • Workload / psychology
  • Workload / statistics & numerical data
  • Workplace / organization & administration
  • Workplace / psychology