Doctors are overworked, over-stressed, tired, and burning out — it is affecting your health. Burned-out medical providers are often less productive and do not focus as well on the needs of their patients. Some reduce their work hours, putting added stress on those who have to cover their shifts and patients, and some leave the medical profession completely. None of this is good for patient care.
According to a recent report from the Harvard Global Health Institute, frequent changes to health care environments and protocol have contributed to the increased rate of burnout to the point where there is a public health crisis that “urgently demands action.” The report cites findings from the Mayo Clinic showing that physicians who experience burnout are more likely to reduce their work hours or leave the profession altogether.
How common is burnout? According to a 2018 survey by the Stanford University School of Medicine, 55 percent of physicians across the U.S. admitted to having symptoms of burnout, while 33 percent admitted to suffering from high levels of fatigue.
If you or a loved one has suffered because of negligent care from a burned-out medical practitioner, you may be entitled to receive financial compensation. However, your case must be handled correctly and competently, or you may never collect the compensation you deserve.
The skilled and experienced Pennsylvania medical malpractice attorney Clifford A. Rieders of Rieders, Travis, Dohrmann, Mowrey, Humphrey & Waters has spent decades honing his skills and successfully representing Pennsylvania families who have suffered an injury or loss due to negligence and malpractice by medical professionals and hospitals. Our attorneys offer personal attention and loyalty to every client, aggressively fighting for their right to compensation.
We offer a free consultation to examine the facts of your case and determine how we can help, so contact us online or call our offices for a free consultation.
Symptoms and Results of Burnout
- Physicians are spending more time on paperwork and poorly designed digital health records and less time benefiting patients. This adds to their frustration and decreased quality time spent with patients.
- Stress-related mental problems are increasing. Burned-out physicians report feelings of depleted resources, become detached or callous to the problems of their patients, harbor negative attitudes toward others and have diminished feelings of accomplishment. They may abuse medications and show signs of depression, and even commit suicide.
- Interactions with other healthcare team members suffer. Stress and burnout spreads to associated professionals, including Physicians Assistants, Nurse Practitioners and Registered Nurses.
- When physicians burn out, the chances of making medical errors increases, lack of respect from patients increases, and the likelihood of malpractice lawsuits increases.
Burnout and Medical Malpractice
Many medical professionals grow so accustomed to working under stressful conditions that they can no longer recognize signs of burnout that may include fatigue, depression, anxiety, difficulties with concentration, and even suicidal thoughts. As a result, these tired and overworked doctors are more likely to be negligent and commit medical errors.
If You are Injured
Medical professionals in Pennsylvania are held to providing a reasonable standard of care. Medical care that significantly violates an understood norm of diagnosis or treatment and causes injury or death to the patient through acting negligently may violate the standard of care.
If you or a loved one was injured or someone has died because of negligence by an overworked or burned-out doctor, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses that may include medical expenses, loss of life’s pleasures, loss of future wage horizon and emotional anguish in a medical malpractice lawsuit.
However, Pennsylvania medical malpractice laws are complex, and if your case is not handled correctly, you may never receive the compensation you are entitled to. It pays to seek the help of an experienced medical malpractice attorney to make sure you receive the compensation you deserve.
Cliff Rieders is a Past President of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice, formerly Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association. Rieders has won numerous awards and recognition from the Pennsylvania Association for Justice, and he received the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority recognition award. Cliff Rieders was a founder of the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority and served on same for 15 years. Rieders was a Law Clerk in the federal court system for one of the most well-known and longest serving federal judges in the country, the Honorable Malcolm Muir. Cliff has received the George F. Douglas Amicus Curiae Award, as well as the Milton D. Rosenberg Award from the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers. Rieders is on committees and organizations that write the law in many fields of practice. Cliff Rieders was involved in the writing of the Mcare Act, which governs medical liability actions in Pennsylvania. Cliff Rieders wrote the book on medical malpractice that lawyers use in the state. Cliff teaches the subject of medical malpractice at seminars attended by the leading lawyers in the state. Cliff Rieders is recognized as an outstanding authority in the medical malpractice field. Cliff has even testified before the legislature on medical malpractice laws. Rieders is a Nationally Board certified specialist for Civil Trial and Civil Practice and Procedure, a cum laude graduate of New York University as well as Georgetown University Law Center. Rieders is admitted in Pennsylvania, New York State, District of Columbia and numerous federal courts including the Supreme Court of the United States. Rieders is a life member of the American Law Institute which publishes recommended legal principles utilized throughout the United States. Cliff Rieders is the lawyer that other lawyers call for counsel and advice in the medical and hospital malpractice and pharmaceutical/vitamin supplement fields. Cliff Rieders does substantial work in multi-district litigation in connection with pharmaceutical products and medical devices.
Based in Williamsport, we serve clients throughout the state of Pennsylvania, offering a free consultation on all personal injury matters. More than that, we offer you experience, knowledge, compassion, and a long history of results.
