Physician Burnout And Medical Errors | NYC Medical Malpractice Lawyer

This month, we brought you the news report of a recent study commissioned by commissioned by the American College of Surgeons called Burnout and Medical Errors Among American Surgeons. The shocking results of a survey of 7,905 surgeons in the Untied States revealed that burnout, depression, and depersonalization are all linked to higher rates of serious surgical errors – and that burnout and stress are greater contributors to medical malpractice incidents than overwork and fatigue.

Could your surgical error have been caused by surgeon burnout or depression? It is certainly possible. All in all, 40 percent of the surgeons reported feeling burnt out, and nine percent of respondents reported making a serious medical error within the last 90 days of practice.

Unfortunately, this recent study agrees with a significant amount of other research linking distress, depersonalization, burnout, fatigue, and self-reported surgical errors. A recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), showed that distress: something that includes possible burnout, emotional stress, financial issues, family problems, and depression, is a serious factor independent of fatigue that can lead to medical errors.

Researchers noted that while steps had been taken to limit hours for medical residents, concrete steps had not been taken to alleviate other stressors. They also noted that screening for sometimes subjective issues such as burn out, stress, and depression were difficult. The authors of the second study were Angelina Tan; Thomas Habermann, M.D.; and Jeff Sloan, Ph.D.

"While changes have been made to reduce fatigue and sleepiness during residency training, other changes may be necessary to more specifically address distress and burnout," senior researcher Tait Shanafelt, M.D. told Science Daily.

Researchers believe that up to ten percent of those in the hospital may be subject to medical errors and surgical mistakes during their stay.