Illness In Physicians Research Articles

Federation of State Physician Health Programs' Response to Helping the Helpers.

Federation of State Physician Health Programs Ridgeland, MS Mississippi Physician Health Committee, Ridgeland, MS Molina Healthcare of Mississippi, Jackson, MS Federation of State Physician Health Programs Ridgeland, MS Washington Physician Health Program, Seattle, WA [email protected] Federation of State Physician Health Programs, Ridgeland, MS Physician's Health Program, Tennessee Medical Foundation, Brentwood, TN Received for publication August 10, 2022; accepted August 18, 2022. The authors have no sources of support to report. Drs Bundy, Baron, and Hambleton were on a Task Force of the FSPHP Board that prepared the FSPHP Position Statement “Safety Considerations for Medication Treatment of Opioid Use Disorders in Monitored Health Professionals.” Dr Baron was on FSMB Workgroup that wrote the policy “Physician Illness and Impairment: Towards a Model that Optimizes Patient Safety and Physician Health.”

Good pain, bad pain: illness perception and physician attitudes towards rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia patients.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and fibromyalgia syndrome (FM) are common diagnoses encountered in rheumatology practice, but do not enjoy the same status. We aimed to examine physician's illness perceptions regarding these two rheumatologic disorders and to evaluate how they correlate with their relationship with these patients. Forty-five rheumatologists were enrolled in the study. Demographic data were registered. Measures collected included the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ) and the Difficult Doctor- Patient Relation Questionnaire (DDPRQ-10). Both were recorded twice, related to FM and RA. Empathy and burnout were also assessed. Of 45 physicians included in the study, only 53% were willing to accept FM patients. FM was considered a more severe disease than RA (FM-BIPQ mean score 54, SD 5.5 versus RA-BIPQ mean 45.6 SD 6.5, p<0.00) in terms of treatment control, understanding and emotional response generated by the disease. Doctor-patient relationship was perceived more difficult with FM patients compared to RA patients (FM-DDPRQ mean score 35.1, SD 9.2 versus RA-DDPRQ mean 19.6, SD 7.1, p<0.00), and was significantly correlated to the patient's concern about the illness (p<0.034) and patient's emotional response (p<0.036). Resistance to accept FM patients was largely influenced by difficult doctor-patient relationship. Higher levels of empathy were found in physicians experiencing less difficulty with FM patients. FM patients were perceived as more difficult than RA patients, with a high level of concern and emotional response. A high proportion of physicians were reluctant to accept them because they feel emotional/psychological difficulties meeting and coping with these patients.

Family physicians health-related absenteeism at the Al-Wazarat Healthcare Center

Background:In general, physicians and family physicians more specifically tend to treat themselves in an informal matter. The evidence suggests that family physicians have a tendency not to consult other physicians while they are sick and tend to self-treat. Health-related absenteeism among family physicians in primary care settings is an issue that needs to be addressed.Aim:The aim of this study is to identify the prevalence of health-related absenteeism among family physicians in Al-Wazarat Health Center and to investigate the medical causes associated with sickness absence.Methods:The study used cross-sectional design to investigate the prevalence of health-related absenteeism among family physicians in a primary care setting.Results:The study included 108 physicians from the Al-Wazarat Healthcare Center in Riyadh, KSA. On average, the physicians were absent for 2 days over the last year with 53.3% (64/108) have no health-related absence days. The most common recorded reasons for work absence are the severity of illness 75.0% (81/108) and workload 63.0% (68/108). Influenza was the most common health condition that causes absenteeism 60.2% (65/108). The attitude toward working while ill scored 2.3 ± 2.5, being responsible for affecting the patients if working while ill 8.0 ± 2.8, physicians with chronic diseases should stay away from work 3.7 ± 3.7, and the quality of healthcare service could be affected by the physician's illness 7.5 ± 2.5.Conclusions:Further investigations are needed for more understanding of the physicians’ tendencies and casual approach toward working with illness. Such understanding will help to formulate better guidelines for medical practices.

Film to Explore Factors Contributing to Physician Suicide

Film to Explore Factors Contributing to Physician Suicide

Canadian Physicians' Attitudes towards Accessing Mental Health Resources.

Despite their rigorous training, studies have shown that physicians experience higher rates of mental illness, substance abuse, and suicide compared to the general population. An online questionnaire was sent to a random sample of physicians across Canada to assess physicians' knowledge of the incidence of mental illness among physicians and their attitudes towards disclosure and treatment in a hypothetical situation where one developed a mental illness. We received 139 responses reflecting mostly primary care physicians and nonsurgical specialists. The majority of respondents underestimated the incidence of mental illness in physicians. The most important factors influencing respondent's will to disclose their illness included career implications, professional integrity, and social stigma. Preference for selecting mental health treatment services, as either outpatients or inpatients, was mostly influenced by quality of care and confidentiality, with lower importance of convenience and social stigma. Results from this study suggest that the attitudes of physicians towards becoming mentally ill are complex and may be affected by the individual's previous diagnosis of mental illness and the presence of a family member with a history of mental illness. Other factors include the individual's medical specialty and level of experience. As mental illness is common among physicians, one must be conscious of these when offering treatment options.

Sepsis and meningitis in hospitalized children: performance of clinical signs and their prediction rules in a case-control study.

Feverish illness is a common presentation to acute pediatric services. Clinical staff faces the challenge of differentiating the few children with meningitis or sepsis from the majority with self-limiting illness. We aimed to determine the diagnostic value of clinical features and their prediction rules (CPR) for identifying children with sepsis or meningitis among those children admitted to a District General Hospital with acute febrile illness. Acutely ill children admitted to a District General Hospital in England were included in this case-control study between 2000 and 2005. We examined the diagnostic accuracy of individual clinical signs and 6 CPRs, including the National Institute for Clinical Excellence "traffic light" system, to determine clinical utility in identifying children with a diagnosis of sepsis or meningitis. Loss of consciousness, prolonged capillary refill, decreased alertness, respiratory effort, and the physician's illness assessment had high positive likelihood ratios (9-114), although with wide confidence intervals, to rule in sepsis or meningitis. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence traffic light system, the modified Yale Observation Scale, and the Pediatric Advanced Warning Score performed poorly with positive likelihood ratios ranging from 1 to 3. The pediatrician's overall illness assessment was the most useful feature to rule in sepsis or meningitis in these hospitalized children. Clinical prediction rules did not effectively rule in sepsis or meningitis. The modified Yale Observation Scale should be used with caution. Single clinical signs could complement these scores to rule in sepsis or meningitis. Further research is needed to validate these CPRs.

Post-traumatic stress disorder in physicians from an underserviced area

Studies suggest a high prevalence of mental illness in physicians. The rate of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been examined in physicians exposed to traumatic circumstances and physicians in training but never in physicians in regular practice. To estimate the prevalence of PTSD in physicians practicing in a predominantly rural and remote and medically underserviced region of Canada. The PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C) was mailed to all 331 physicians in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. A PCL-C score of >or=50 was used to define 'probable' PTSD and >or=30 defined 'possible' PTSD. Additional comments and demographic information were also requested. Completed questionnaires were received from 159 physicians (48%). The prevalence of probable PTSD was 4.4%. No differences between demographic groups were observed for probable PTSD, but possible PTSD was more frequent in males than females (47.3% versus 20.4%, chi-square = 10.59, P = 0.001). Mean scores were also higher for males than for females (30.4 versus 25.4, 95% confidence interval for the difference: 1.4-8.5, P = 0.006). Respondents identified overwork, insufficient resources and relationships with colleagues and patients as common stressors. Results suggest a high rate of PTSD in Northwestern Ontario physicians. The prevalence of possible PTSD and mean PCL-C scores are higher in men than in women in this region, which may relate to differences in practice characteristics and the opportunity for exposure to traumatic events.

Infant Health Outcomes Associated with Voluntary Health Care Model Change in a Choice-Based Medicaid System

Medicaid health plan enrollment changes may be a barrier to optimal care and may increase costs. Data represented 45,768 infants enrolled in Medicaid in South Carolina, 2000-2002. We examined associations between health plan changes and preventive health care, sick infant doctor visits, emergency department (ED) visits, and hospitalizations. In adjusted results, compared to infants without plan changes, those with changes averaged 40% fewer preventive health visits (P <0.001), over 35% fewer sick infant doctor visits (P < 0.01), 77% more hospitalizations in year one (P <0.001), and 43% more potentially preventable hospitalizations in year one (P <0.01). Infants on Medicaid with a health plan change have less preventive health care, are much less likely to be treated for illness in physicians' offices, and have substantially more costly medical care. These results may be due to unmeasured maternal or family characteristics, or care continuity loss. Plan changes may indicate higher infant health risks.

Physician Impairment: Is It Relevant To Academic Psychiatry?

This article examines the relevance of physician impairment to the discipline of academic psychiatry. The author reviews the scientific literature, the proceedings of previous International Conferences on Physician Health, and held discussions with experts in the physician health movement, department chairs, program directors, and residents. Psychiatric illness and impairment in physicians impact academic psychiatry in several ways. Mental illnesses in physicians are being studied by some researchers, but the subject requires more scholarly attention. Training directors are interested in resident well-being and illness and how to reach out to symptomatic residents in a more timely way. Leaders in psychiatry are eager to learn the first steps in identifying colleagues at risk and the route to assessment and care. They are especially concerned about disruptive behavior in the workplace, including harassment and boundary transgressions in doctor-patient and supervisor-supervisee relationships. Academic psychiatrists wish to be more responsive to nonpsychiatrists appealing to them for guidance with impaired members of their departments. Physician impairment is an emerging field of study and interest to psychiatrists in academic settings.

Book Review: Psychiatric Illness in Physicians.

Book Review: Psychiatric Illness in Physicians.

Psychiatric Illness in Physicians

The eye-catching title of this book is a reminder that physicians are not invulnerable to the effects of stress and anxiety, however shielded from these common forces society may deem them to be. In his preface, the author warns the physician with symptoms against following the ancient advice, Physician, heal thyself. This nostrum has been updated to read, Doctor, find professional help. As a group at high risk for psychiatric impairment, physicians are advised that prevention and early case finding are extremely important. Unfortunately, aside from the preface, the book consists of previously published material. Chapters such as those dealing with narcotic addiction and the use of mood altering drugs could stand a fresh approach, since they were printed originally in 1964 and 1970. One also wonders if suicide rates for female physicians are still as high as those reported in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This book compiles

Review of Psychiatric Illness in Physicians.

Review of Psychiatric Illness in Physicians.

The Impaired Physician

IN RECENT years, increased interest and attention have been focused on problems of emotionally impaired physicians. In response to concern for the impaired physician who is under formal probation, the Oregon Board of Medical Examiners initiated an evaluation of the rehabilitation programs for probationers with substance-use disorders and psychiatric illness. This article reports on the evaluation of these rehabilitation programs and addresses several questions concerning the effectiveness of rehabilitation efforts with impaired physicians. Those questions include the following: What are the problem types and risk groups of physicians who are on probation with the State Board of Medical Examiners for a psychiatric disorder? Is there a predictable course for the physician's illness? What is the physician's response to treatment? What is the preferred treatment plan for each major problem? In 1972, the American Medical Association's Council on Mental Health published its report on "The Sick Physician."1This initiated an

Book ReviewPsychiatric Illness in Physicians

Book ReviewPsychiatric Illness in Physicians

Evaluation of Drug Interactions, ed 1.

The uncritical publication of long lists of interactions has led to an illness in physicians known as the drug interaction anxiety syndrome. The most severe form of this syndrome results in paralysis. There is little doubt that interactions may have serious clinical consequences; however, the publication of long lists of interactions has aroused overconcern in practicing physicians, even though these tabulations included animal data, case reports, and clinical impressions of unproved therapeutic importance. Evaluation of Drug Interactions attempts, by means of panels of physicians, pharmacists, and pharmacologists, to evaluate the literature critically and indicate the clinical importance of reported interactions. The book was assembled by 26 scientific review and five practitioner panels. This book is an improvement over available publications on this subject, but it still fails in some regards. The initial section contains specific reviews on 104 pairs of drugs and includes pharmacological effect and

The emotional health of physicians.

Editorials1 December 1968The Emotional Health of PhysiciansJOHN C. DUFFY, M.D.JOHN C. DUFFY, M.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-69-6-1319 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptEmotional illness in physicians has become an issue of growing interest in the past few years. With a candor not found in any other professional group, physicians have painfully explored the impact of emotional illness, not only on their personal lives, but also on their professional ability and responsibilities (1-3). Emotional illness is a serious problem for the physician, as indeed it is for all persons, but by the very nature of his responsibilities the consequences of his mental illness impinge upon the commonweal of society.Most of the studies on the emotional health of physicians have been concerned with...