Radiologists and other physicians with children are uncomfortable discussing work-life tensions with leadership, and women experiencing this challenge more acutely, according to a new survey.
Among doctors raising a family, women were more likely than men to turn down a project (53% versus 43.5%) or a participation on a committee (47.7% versus 37.2%). The findings are part of an institutional survey of 1,085 physicians at Michigan Medicine and highlight ways to address burnout among clinicians, experts wrote Thursday in JAMA Network Open.
“The disruptions introduced by the pandemic present an opportunity for those in leadership to play a role in improving institutional culture by acknowledging and supporting parenting challenges,” Helen Kang Morgan, MD, with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and colleagues wrote Dec. 10.
Morgan et al. administered the survey online back in October 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in the U.S. All told, 2,069 physicians received the questionnaire, with a response rate of 52.4%. Those who replied varied across specialties, including 40 radiologists, alongside anesthesiologists, dermatologists, neurologists and several other areas of expertise.
Respondents also felt that parenting negatively affects promotion for women in medicine, but not men. And both male and female physician parents have struggled discussing parenthood with their divisional and departmental leaders, or finding time to present at national conferences.
“Work-home conflicts are a strong contributor to physician burnout,” the authors concluded. “Now is a propitious time to evaluate how recent changes, such as virtual conferences and meetings, can be maintained to better support physicians juggling family responsibilities. These unprecedented times provide an opportunity for academic institutions to address systems barriers for parents and especially for women."
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.