It's the Culture!-How systemic and societal constructs impact well-being.

Abstract

Pediatric anesthesiologists practice within a culture, a system, and a society. In this article, we provide an overview of the influence these have on the well-being or the unwellness of pediatric anesthesiologists. The scope of these issues is broad and far-reaching; thus, our goal has been to highlight those areas which would be likely to have the largest impact on well-being if addressed fully by society, institutions, and leaders in our field. We discuss the burnout-promoting aspects of medical education and training. We survey occupational factors, such as the high-stake pediatric anesthesia environment, occupational health hazards, time pressure, and the reduction in physician autonomy. We then describe societal barriers, such as the marginalization of certain populations, the US system of malpractice litigation, the stigma surrounding psychiatric care, and some of the issues related to physician reimbursement in the United States. We conclude that in order to move forward, improving physician wellness must be a focus of society, of the medical system as a whole, and of individual departments and leaders in pediatric anesthesia.