Integrating physician wellbeing into patient safety standards: a crucial step for Emergency Medicine - Romann, V.; Ding, C.; Khattab, N.; Lim, R.; Heymann, E. (Intern Emerg Med, 2025)
Emergency departments (EDs) are high-risk environments for adverse events (AEs), making patient safety a critical concern. Current patient safety standards, such as those established by the International Federation for Emergency Medicine (IFEM), address various risk factors but often overlook the crucial role of physician wellbeing. This paper explores the intrinsic link between patient safety and physician burnout, highlighting how improving emergency physician (EP) wellbeing can enhance patient outcomes. The high burnout rates among EPs, driven by factors such as unpredictable workloads, circadian rhythm disruptions, and substantial emotional tolls, directly impact patient safety. Shared organizational, social, and individual determinants between patient safety and physician burnout suggest that addressing these can yield mutual benefits. Effective strategies at the organizational level include ensuring adequate facilities and human resources, continuous training, and support from management. At the social level, improving teamwork, communication, and staffing levels can mitigate burnout. On the individual level, supporting EPs' mental agility and critical thinking through manageable workloads and sufficient rest is vital. Moreover, factors such as interpersonal conflicts, work-related psychological trauma, patient violence, and administrative burdens further exacerbate EP burnout and jeopardize patient safety. Proposed interventions include improved communication protocols, structured debriefings, violence prevention programs, and the optimization of Electronic Health Records (EHR) to reduce administrative stress. This paper advocates for the inclusion of EP wellbeing in patient safety standards to form a comprehensive national strategy, aligning with the transition from the Triple Aim to the Quadruple Aim in healthcare. By safeguarding the physical and mental health of EPs, the overall quality of care in EDs can be significantly improved.
Keywords: journalArticle; *Burnout, Professional/psychology/prevention & control; *Emergency Medicine/standards/methods; *Patient Safety/standards; *Physicians/psychology; Emergency Service, Hospital/organization & administration; Emergency medicine; Humans; Patient safety; Physician burnout; Physician wellbeing; Safety standards