Doctors Are Generally Happy in Their Lives and Careers, According to AAFP and CompHealth Study

SALT LAKE CITY, /PRNewswire/ -- CompHealth, a national leader in healthcare staffing, and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) released results from a joint study on the overall happiness of physicians, which finds that most physicians are happy in their careers and personal lives. Although some recent headlines scream otherwise, 71 percent of physicians currently in practice reported being happy, with 59 percent indicating they were satisfied with their lives in general.

“Practicing medicine is a profoundly rewarding profession,” said Clif Knight, MD, FAAFP, Sr. Vice President of Education for AAFP. “As with any job, it’s important to find meaningful work-life integration. The AAFP has developed resources to help improve physician well-being while we are simultaneously fighting to reduce administrative burden, one of the key factors physicians cite as a barrier to happiness at work.”

Much of the foundation of workplace happiness is grounded in developing positive relationships with family members, friends, coworkers and patients. There is also a direct correlation between physicians having “many” friends at work with a high level of satisfaction in their lives.

“Physician burnout is a real issue that has dominated the industry for a lot of years. With this survey we wanted to take a deeper look at what drives workplace happiness, and why,” said Lisa Grabl, president of CompHealth. “We found that many physicians still take great joy in the practice of medicine and discovered areas where administrators and physicians alike can work together to further increase physician happiness.”

The study explored issues that impact happiness in physicians’ lives. For example, survey results indicate that:

• Relationships matter. Physicians with a lot of friends at work reported high life satisfaction, while physicians with no friends at work only had 39 percent report they had high life satisfaction.
• Lack of control and excess paperwork make physicians unhappy. Work issues such as lack of control (72 percent), clerical burdens (71 percent) and emotional exhaustion (69 percent) detracted from medical providers’ happiness. Specific tasks such as administrative duties (28 percent) also limited workplace happiness.
• Lack of time with patients may be another contributing factor for physician unhappiness. Fifty-five percent of physicians reported time available for individual patients has declined since they started practice. However, 44 percent reported that quality of patient care had improved since they began practice.

Read the full survey report here. Click here to access AAFP’s media kit on Physician Well-Being, including resources for physicians, advocacy efforts and more.

About AAFP
Founded in 1947, the American Academy of Family Physicians represents 131,400 physicians and medical students nationwide, and it is the only medical society devoted solely to primary care. Family physicians conduct approximately one in five of the total medical office visits in the United States per year – more than any other specialty. Family physicians provide comprehensive, evidence-based, and cost-effective care dedicated to improving the health of patients, families and communities.

To learn more about the AAFP and family medicine, visit www.aafp.org/media. For information about health care, health conditions and wellness, visit the AAFP’s award-winning consumer website, www.familydoctor.org.

About CompHealth
CompHealth is a national leader in healthcare staffing, serving providers in more than 100 specialties. Founded in 1979, CompHealth is now the largest locum tenens staffing agency in the U.S. and also specializes in permanent physician placement and both temporary and permanent allied healthcare staffing. CompHealth is part of CHG Healthcare, which has been on FORTUNE magazine’s list of “100 Best Companies to Work For” for the past 10 years.

Media Contacts
Chad Saley
PR Manager, CHG Healthcare
(801) 898-5917
chad.saley@chghealthcare.com

Stephanie A. Wilken
Public Relations Strategist, AAFP
(913) 906-6053
swilken@aafp.org

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SOURCE CompHealth