Physicians and the Impact of Work–Home Conflict

Work–home conflicts (WHC) threaten work–life balance among physicians, especially those in dual career relationships. WHC are commonly experienced by physicians and their employed partners. These conflicts may be a major contributor to personal distress for physicians and their partners. A recent survey published in the September 2013 issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine analyzed factors associated with WHC for physicians and their employed partners. METHODS We surveyed 89,831 physicians from all specialty disciplines listed in the Physician Masterfile. Of the 7,288 (27.7 %) physicians who completed the survey, 1,644 provided the e-mail contact information of their partner. We surveyed these partners and 891 (54 %) responded. Burnout, quality of life (QOL), and depression were measured using validated instruments in both surveys. Satisfaction with career, work–life balance, and personal relationships, as well as experience of WHC were also evaluated. RESULTS WHC within the previous 3 weeks were commonly experienced by physicians and their employed partners (44.3 % and 55.7 %, respectively). On multivariate analysis, greater work hours for physicians and their employed partners were independently associated with WHC (OR 1.31 and 1.23 for each additional 10 h, respectively, both p < 0.0001). Physicians and partners who had experienced a recent WHC were more likely to have symptoms of burnout (47.1 % vs. 26.6 % for physicians with and without WHC; 42...
Source: Non-Clinical Physician Jobs, Careers, and Opportunities - Category: Technology Consultants Authors: Source Type: blogs