2023 State of Hospital Medicine Report (Electronic Version)-Section 6: Hospital Medicine Workforce Experience

Section 6: Hospital Medicine Workforce Experience

Pdf Summary

The "2023 State of Hospital Medicine Report" from the Society of Hospital Medicine includes findings from the inaugural Hospital Medicine Workforce Experience Survey, which received 562 responses from primarily physician hospitalists. The survey complements group-level data by focusing on provider-level details regarding work structure, well-being, and perceptions of workplace factors such as patient census, paid time off (PTO), and backup systems.<br /><br />Key demographic insights include:<br />- The majority of respondents (58.1%) are employed by hospitals, health systems, or integrated delivery systems.<br />- Most participants follow a schedule involving seven days on followed by seven days off, or variable schedules, with nearly half working typical shifts of 12 hours.<br />- Respondents span various years of practice, predominantly aged 35-54, with a slight majority identifying as female or cisgender female.<br /><br />The survey reveals several significant workforce experience themes:<br />- The patient census for most respondents averages 11 to 20 patients daily, with mixed perceptions of safety relative to workload.<br />- About 56.5% of providers report not having access to PTO, and among those who do, approximately 25% feel using PTO negatively impacts colleagues or patients.<br />- Backup systems are common, with 40.1% indicating a voluntary backup system; however, many do not participate due to work/life balance concerns.<br /><br />Regarding well-being:<br />- A substantial portion finds meaning and purpose in their work, yet many also experience burnout, with over half considering leaving their job due to burnout or lack of wellness support.<br />- Female hospitalists and those earlier in their careers report higher rates of burnout, while more seasoned professionals find their work meaningful and impactful.<br /><br />Overall, the report highlights a call to action for improving support structures within hospital medicine to enhance well-being and engagement and mitigate burnout and moral injury among providers.

Keywords

Hospital Medicine

Workforce Experience

Physician Hospitalists

Work Structure

Well-being

Patient Census

Paid Time Off

Backup Systems

Burnout

Support Structures