Sometimes we forget that doctors are people too. So they might take care of us, but who takes care of them?

There has been a recent upswing in cases of physician burnout in hospitals. This is not only bad news for the physicians but the patients too. Let’s look at some of the reasons that could be behind these rising cases of doctors’ burnout.

The Pandemic

It has become somewhat of a norm to blame everything that’s going wrong in society on the ongoing Novel viruses pandemic. This time, however, the pandemic is the real culprit.

The main reason the world has made it this far with such a severe pandemic in our midst is dedication and tireless efforts from medical practitioners. However, these efforts are proving not to be so tireless after all, with high cases of burnout in doctors and clinicians. The pandemic has forced doctors to work more hours, get less rest and handle more than thrice the amount of work they would have had before the pandemic.

Patient records

As if that wasn’t enough, these medical practitioners have to deal with patients’ paperwork. With more patients in hospitals because of the pandemic, doctors are tasked with even more records.

Dr. Lisa J. Merlo, director of wellness programs and associate psychiatry professor at the University of Florida, believes that doctors should not be burdened with clerical work. She further says that doctors should be allowed to concentrate on the medical practice alone and not be encumbered with records and paperwork to improve the overall healthcare experience.

Tired doctors are also a risk to the patients because they have a higher likelihood of making mistakes. They’re also not in a good position to make correct diagnosis.

All is not lost

The only upside to the pandemic is that people with minor ailments are now opting for videoconferencing instead of doctor’s office visits. This saves the doctors from some paperwork.

Industry experts are also pushing for a redesign of Electronic Health Records to make it less cumbersome for doctors.