Physician wellness: a missing quality indicator.
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.
Wallace
Jean E
JE
Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. jwallace@ucalgary.ca
Lemaire
Jane B
JB
Ghali
William A
WA
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D017281:Cost of Illness; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008603:Mental Health; D017146:Models, Organizational; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010819:Physician's Role / Q000523:psychology; D010820:Physicians / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D011363:Professional Impairment / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017132:Workplace / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology