Career fatigue is more commonly experienced within the
medical professional than in any other industry. Physicians, physician's
assistants, nurse practitioners and nurses, therapists, case managers and social
workers are all at risk. In a study conducted by the Archives
of Internal Medicine, 41 percent of participants reported experiencing
at least one symptom of burnout.
Technology plays a unique role when it comes to clinical
burnout. It’s increased usage in the healthcare field has become a contributing
factor to clinicians feeling overwhelmed and fatigued, two traits associated
with burnout. At the same time, technology also has the means to make a medical
professional’s job easier and more streamlined, helping to reduce the chance of
burning out. This dual role may mean clinicians have to tread lightly when
working with technology.
The basic traits of burnout
Burnout occurs from emotional, mental, and physical
exhaustion brought on by excessive and prolonged stress. It happens in just
about every industry, but is most often seen by professionals in medicine,
nursing, social work, counseling, and teaching. The closer one is to the
extreme areas within their profession, the more likely burnout can occur. Think
of the difference in stress levels between an emergency room nurse or doctor
and a dermatologist.
Burnout happens over time as physical, emotional, and
behavioral signs begin to emerge. Because it happens slowly, these signs may
not get linked together, and the warning of burnout may go unnoticed. Long
hours, pressure to see more patients to help the practice succeed, and more
non-patient duties can all contribute to the potential for burnout.
Some telltale traits include:
Experiencing just one of these symptoms at a heightened
level can lead to professional complications.
Why burnout is dangerous
Whatever the causes of burnout, those suffering from it
are more likely to make errors on the job. This can decrease the quality of
care a patient receives in addition to deteriorating the mental health of the
medical practitioner suffering from burnout. Because healthcare professionals
suffering from burnout are less likely to listen closely to their patients,
misdiagnoses can become more common. Reviewing medical files while suffering
from extreme exhaustion can mean practitioners aren’t connecting the dots
between symptoms and the right medical condition. This can prove dangerous for
the patient, who then run the risk of not receiving necessary treatment.
The part technology plays in causing burnout
A central driver of burnout for doctors, nurses, and all
those working in healthcare is technology. High level of frustration can occur
when working with new technology for a number of reasons. The chosen system may
prove ineffective for the existing workflow within a medical office. This then
leads to an increased workload or work suddenly becoming burdensome when it was
once easy. Improperly training staff to work with technology can also cause a variety
of issues that can add stress to daily responsibilities, leading medical
professionals toward burnout.
Poor integration and implementation of technology often
stems from the fact that there isn’t an expert working on the process. Many
medical offices don’t have a dedicated IT professional on staff to make the
inclusion of technology a seamless and stress-free process. This means there’s
not someone with the right experience to research options and make effective
software selections for optimal integration. There’s also nobody on staff who
can provide usage training and really work with the team to transfer existing
processes and procedures into a more technological environment.
This lack of preparation and technology knowledge puts
more stress into day-to-day operations, impacting all medical staff.
How technology can reduce the risk of burning
out
Although technology in the medical field can contribute
to burnout, it’s really there to help reduce it. While the electronic health
record (EHR) system, at its core, is a burnout reducing concept, the system
needs improvements for it to function at a more efficient level. When working
just right, this system has the potential to greatly streamline access to
patient information across multiple practitioners. Rather than add more work,
it should improve workflow by making information faster and easier to obtain.
The hiccup right now is that sometimes it requires more effort to locate the
relevant information a specific doctor needs from within the mass of data in a
single patient file.
Improvements in the future will prove most effective if
clinicians are able to contribute to the development process. Working directly
with the individuals who will use the technology enables developers to create
applications that integrate with the least amount of disruption to existing
systems. Paying closer attention to pain points in existing processes can help
inform developers to build technology that makes a positive difference in the
efficiency of health system technology. This in turn will make it easer for all
individuals involved in a single patient’s care to communicate and share
information. It will also minimize stress in this particular area and reduce
burnout.
The search for balance
The medical profession isn’t the only industry struggling
to find balance between using technology effectively and continuing to put a
personal touch into their role. While systems continue to evolve, what begins
as a stressful addition to a practice may eventually become an efficient
workflow resource? This transition starts with the right technology systems
implemented by the proper personnel. Ensuring the technology fits the business,
and that those using it understand how it works, are two ways to prevent
technology from contributing to burnout.
