Combatting Physician Stress: Oklahoma County Medical Society's New Physician Wellness Program

摘要

Despite many positive sources of career satisfaction in the practice of medicine, physicians in the U.S. increasingly report significant stress that can impact their productivity, clinical effectiveness, sense of altruism, personal life and willingness to continue in their practices. In this article we discuss the rewards of medical practice, as well as the concept of burnout as it applies to physicians-its prevalence in various medical disciplines, specific sources of burnout, and programs that have been developed throughout the U.S. to enhance physician well-being and satisfaction with their practices. Oklahoma County Medical Society has recently implemented a Physician Wellness Program (PWP) to address these issues, drawing from similar programs in other states and adapting this new program to the needs of Oklahoma physicians.