Abstract
BackgroundIt is widely held that the occupational well-being of physicians may affect the quality of their patient care. Yet, there is still no comprehensive synthesis of the evidence on this connection.PurposeThis systematic review studied the effect of physicians’ occupational well-being on the quality of patient care.MethodsWe systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and PsychINFO from inception until August 2014. Two authors independently reviewed the studies. Empirical studies that explored the association between physicians’ occupational well-being and patient care quality were considered eligible. Data were systematically extracted on study design, participants, measurements, and findings. The Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI) was used to assess study quality.ResultsUltimately, 18 studies were included. Most studies employed an observational design and were of average quality. Most studies reported positive associations of occupational well-being with patient satisfaction, patient adherence to treatment, and interpersonal aspects of patient care. Studies reported conflicting findings for occupational well-being in relation to technical aspects of patient care. One study found no association between occupational well-being and patient health outcomes.ConclusionsThe association between physicians’ occupational well-being and health care’s ultimate goal—improved patient health—remains understudied. Nonetheless, research up till date indicated that physicians’ occupational well-being can contribute to better patient satisfaction and interpersonal aspects of care. These insights may help in shaping the policies on physicians’ well-being and quality of care.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s12529-015-9473-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Well-being of physicians is a growing concern [1, 2]
Most studies reported positive associations of occupational well-being with patient satisfaction, patient adherence to treatment, and interpersonal aspects of patient care
One study found no association between occupational well-being and patient health outcomes
Summary
Compared to the general working population, many physicians suffer from burnout [3,4,5], as they deal with high levels of work strain and emotional demands [2]. Physicians’ wellbeing is vital to the individual physician, and to their ability to provide high-quality patient care [2]. Research indicated that physicians who suffer from burnout provide less adequate patient care [6,7,8] and low levels of physicians’ well-being could lead to suboptimal performing health care systems [2]. Physicians with higher levels of well-being tend to provide better patient care [9]. In. It is widely held that the occupational well-being of physicians may affect the quality of their patient care. Purpose This systematic review studied the effect of physicians’ occupational well-being on the quality of patient care
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
