Doctors Still Come to Work When Sick: Survey

• comments
• 
• 

Have you ever wondered who treats doctors when they are sick? Well, according to a survey, doctors still come to work when they are sick, even when the health of their patients are at risk.

TIME Magazine writes that based on a survey published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, 83.1 percent of medical professionals still attend to their patients even when they are sick.

The study is funded by the Epicenters for the Prevention of Healthcare Associated Infections from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It was conducted among 530 medical professionals to aid in creating an improved medical venue for better patient protection and to avoid weariness and burnout among healthcare workers.

Most respondents feel that they are either letting their coworkers and patients down, or are neglecting their duties as professionals. They are also concerned with the staffing situation, which may cause a rift among their peers or a decrease in the standard of care they offer.

Reuters adds that according to their phone interview with Dr. Jeffrey Starke of the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, sick medical professionals impose a great threat to people who already have weak immune systems, like newborns, cancer or transplant patients, and older patients.

Furthermore, doctors who come to work when sick are more than likely to provide substandard assistance to their patients. Starke stressed that hospitals need to impose specific policies that can help curb these instances.

CBC News California reports that Julie Szymczak of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, one of the authors of the survey, has noted three points in the comments field, and these include fear of taking sick leaves as no one can cover their duties, considering the "physicians do not take days off" as a norm and doubt as to when to call in sick based on the symptoms they manifest.

Dr. Michael Gardam, director of infection prevention and control at Toronto's University Health Network, shares that serious consequences follow when medical professionals come to work when sick, like spreading infection in the medical facility. The director believes medical professionals need to learn it isn't about them.

Another point the survey wishes to show is the need for a confirmative peer pressure within colleagues, as they bring a much heavier influence than any policy or standards on staffing.