An unwavering work ethic is a hallmark of many health professionals. But a new survey finds that when a doctor is sick, such dedication to duty can have serious consequences.
A poll of 150 attendees of an American College of Physicians meeting in 2010 revealed that more than half of resident physicians had worked with flu-like symptoms at least once in the last year and one in six reported working sick on three or more occasions during that time.
The survey conducted by researchers at the University of Chicago Medicine and Massachusetts General Hospital also asked the doctors whether they believed they’d ever directly transmitted an illness to a patient. Shockingly, nearly 10 percent of respondents answered yes, and more than 20 percent believed other residents had passed on an illness to a patient. So much for the Hippocratic Oath and the promise to do no harm!
The results published in the Archives of Internal Medicine are further evidence of a culture of self-sacrifice long prevalent in medicine. Researchers say a physician’s sense of loyalty to already-overwhelmed peers, along with a commitment to patient care, often conflicts with an ethical stance against exposing patients and staff to an illness or compromised performance.
“Resisting the pressure to work when ill can be particularly difficult for young doctors,” said study author Anupam B. Jena, MD, PhD,. “A work-first, self-second attitude is often seen as ideal among peers, superiors and even patients.”
In the first known account of the reasons for presenteeism among doctors-in-training, more than half of respondents cited obligation to colleagues who’d be forced to cover their duties or an obligation to patient care as the top reasons for not taking a sick day.
Far fewer, a mere 12%, indicated they’d worked when ill due to concerns their colleagues would think they were “weak” and 8% came to work sick because they felt pressured to repay colleagues for coverage.
Seniority appeared to be a factor in the results. Second-year residents were more likely than first-years to select responsibility to patient care as a reason for presenteeism. Gender differences were also brought to light with female residents more likely to work sick and cite patient care as the reason. Female residents were also more likely to report fear of being perceived as weak as a motive for not taking time off.
While time away from the office carries a similar stigma in other high-pressure professions, a business executive showing up sick to the boardroom is significantly less worrisome than a doctor with flu treating patients. An otherwise healthy doctor can often recover quickly, but an infected patient with an already-compromised immune system may not.
Clearly it’s time for doctors to stop playing superheroes. Presenteeism needs to be addressed and eliminated. Given the intellect of most doctors it shouldn’t be too difficult for them to understand that refraining from work while ill is the most professional way to ensure responsible and safe care for patients.
A word to my doctors – if what you’ve got is contagious or makes you so sick that your judgment is clouded – STAY HOME!
SRxA's Word on Health 