American doctors aren’t alone in their feelings of burnout. A new survey of physicians in the United Kingdom found only 1 in 4 feel valued by the hospital where they work.
Although more than 78% of doctors who responded to a survey felt valued by their patients more than half the time and 70% felt valued by colleagues and staff, only 26% said they felt valued by the hospital they worked for, according to an announcement by the Royal College of Physicians, which conducted a survey on doctor well-being in April.
And when it comes to female physicians, the picture is even bleaker, with only 20% saying they felt valued by their hospital.
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Just as many U.S. doctors have experienced burnout and dissatisfaction with their jobs, only 35% of the consultant physicians in the survey said they felt fulfilled more than half of the time. Self-determination is often linked to doctor well-being, and only 53% of respondents said they had largely determined their job plans. Doctors said more flexible working conditions could improve their job satisfaction.
When it comes to creating the perfect dream job plan, 52% of respondents said they would like to do more research, 41% said more teaching and 47% said they would like more time with patients. U.S. doctors have long complained that spending more time on paperwork and electronic health records systems is keeping them from spending time with their patients.
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The survey asked doctors what they would like to have said about them when they retire. The most common response was that doctors hoped to make a difference, by being a hard worker or a good doctor (57%) or by being missed by their patients (34%).
A survey released earlier this year of more than 14,000 U.S. physicians found that physician burnout has increased by 25% in just four years.
And the current political climate and fight to repeal the Affordable Care Act may be adding to physician anxiety in the U.S.