Industry News | 11.11.24
Young Doctors Want Work-Life Balance. Older Doctors Say That’s Not the Job
By NAMSS Staff
Wall Street Journal (11/03/24) Chen, Te-Ping
Today, more physicians are questioning medicine's workaholic culture and are pushing against what they view as outdated expectations of overwork. Almost 50 percent of all doctors report feeling some burnout, according to recent American Medical Association research, with physicians working an average of 59 hours a week. Addressing the issue is starting to gain steam. For instance, Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland has changed its sick-day policy, with doctors permitted to take sick time as needed without explanation. Some internal groups have doubled the number of on-call doctors to cover more absences. Dr. Maria Ansari, chief executive of the Permanente Medical Group, says younger physicians are driving much of the change. "They have a different mindset and approach about protecting their personal time," she says, noting a jump in the number of young doctors interested in virtual work. New technology is promoting doctor well-being. For instance, the approximately 24,000 physicians across all Permanente Medical Groups were given access to AI tools this past summer to help transcribe conversations with patients and reduce time doctors spend completing electronic notes.
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