Support to Clinicians during Time of Stress

HIMSS and Nuance researched the pandemic’s impact on more than 400 Clinicians in ten countries. While the causes of stress and the amounts of stress experienced by different health professionals differed, clinician burnout was nearly universal. The findings were later presented in a white paper titled “From Overload to Burnout: Clinicians‘ Perspectives.”

According to the survey, burnout has been on the rise for some time, but healthcare systems throughout the world have been pushed to breaking point in the last year. Overburdened and under-resourced services have been subjected to unprecedented levels of stress. Individuals at the center of these systems are bearing the brunt of the strain.

Excessive administrative duties, a lack of control over working days, and poor remuneration models were all highlighted as contributing causes to the overburden by healthcare professionals. Clinicians documentation and the processes surrounding it were mentioned by 82 percent of all participating doctors and 73 percent of all participating nurses as a significant contributor to burnout.

Remote consultations, which come with higher risks, more diagnostic ambiguity, and additional administrative requirements, added to an already onerous workload, according to responses to the poll.A collaborative leadership style, dependable work planning, and effective administrative systems were all factors that lowered the danger of stress. Stress was reduced by a collaborative leadership style in which management teams responded to changing needs and provided individuals on the frontlines with the proper tools and information.

Reliable work plans helped assure consistency in shift patterns and responsibilities, which might help bring order to the unrest, but they were difficult to implement during the pandemic. Stress was also reduced because of efficient administrative operations. As workloads grew, so did the demand for technologies and processes that decreased administrative burdens.