The Jeffrey Silver Humanism in Healthcare Research Roundup features summaries of recently published studies on humanism in healthcare. To receive email notification of new studies once per month, enter your information here and select “Jeffrey Silver Research Roundup” from the checkboxes at the bottom. See previous posts in this series.
Publications from Gold Foundation-Affiliated Authors
Relationship between clerical burden and characteristics of the electronic environment with physician burnout and professional satisfaction
Shanafelt TD, Dyrbye LN, Sinsky C, Hasan O, Satele D, Sloan J, West CP. Mayo Clin Proc. 2016 Jun 10. pii: S0025-6196(16)30215-4.
Drs. Shanafelt, Dyrbye and West are Mapping the Landscape, Journeying Together grant recipients.
Over 6,000 physicians across all specialties in the US responded to a survey regarding use of electronic health records (EHRs), computerized physician order entry (CPOE), and electronic patient portals. Burnout was measured using validated metrics. Researchers found that physicians who used EHRs and CPOE were less satisfied with the amount of time spent on clerical tasks and were at higher risk for professional burnout. Read response from Gold Foundation President & CEO Richard Levin, MD
Medical students’ attitudes toward non-adherent patients before and after a simulated patient-role activity and small-group discussion: revisited
DelPrete A, Giordano C, Castiglioni A, Hernandez C. Cureus. 2016 Apr 19;8(4):e576.
Dr. Hernandez is a Mapping the Landscape, Journeying Together grant recipient.
Over 100 first year medical students participated in a simulated patient-role activity including taking daily “medication,” participating in moderate exercise, and maintaining a low carbohydrate diet. Authors found that students’ empathy levels were not affected by this activity, even though previous studies have shown that patient role-playing activities maintain or increase empathy in medical students.
Alternative framings, countervailing visions: Locating the “p” in professional identity formation
Hafferty FW, Michalec B, Martimianakis MA, Tilburt JC. Acad Med. 2016 Feb;91(2):171-4.
Drs. Hafferty, Michalec and Martimianakis are Mapping the Landscape, Journeying Together grant recipients.
Professional identity formation in medical education is referenced increasingly as an object for educational reform. The authors introduce core concepts from two largely untapped literatures on identity and formation. They argue that medical educators must strive to help physicians-qua-professionals to function as a quasi-subversive work force and to disrupt the very system that helped to shape their identity, so that they may fulfill their mission to their patients.
Other Publications
Surgeons’ emotional experience of their everyday practice – a qualitative study (free full text)
Orri M, Revah-Lévy A, Farges O. PLoS One. 2015 Nov 24;10(11):e0143763
Authors interviewed 27 liver and pancreatic surgeons from 10 teaching hospitals about their emotional experiences as surgeons. Interviewees described the range of emotional situations they face (with patients, families, colleagues), the influence of the institutional framework (time pressure and fatigue, cultural pressure to satisfy the ideal image of a surgeon), as well as the emotions they feel (including especially anxiety, fear, distress, guilt, and accountability).
A systematic review of patients’ experiences in communicating with primary care physicians: Intercultural encounters and a balance between vulnerability and integrity (free full text)
Rocque R, Leanza Y. PLoS One. 2015 Oct 6;10(10):e0139577.
Researchers analyzed qualitative studies about patients’ experiences in communicating with primary care physicians. Patients spoke about negative experiences related to being treated with disrespect, experiencing pressure due to time constraints, and feeling helpless due to the dominance of biomedical culture in the medical encounter. They attributed positive experiences to certain relational and technical skills. Ethnic minorities faced four categories of factors contributing to a negative experience: language barriers, discrimination, differing values, and acculturation.
Burnout in emergency department healthcare professionals is associated with coping style: A cross-sectional survey
Howlett M, Doody K, Murray J, LeBlanc-Duchin D, Fraser J, Atkinson PR. Emerg Med J. 2015 Sep;32(9):722-7.
Researchers evaluated coping styles and burnout levels in a cross-sectional survey of 616 emergency department staff members. They found that task-oriented coping was associated with decreased risk of burnout, while emotion-oriented coping was associated with increased risk of burnout.
This post was written by Brandy King, Head of Information Services at The Arnold P. Gold Foundation Research Institute
