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Jon McKenna | February 22, 2023 | Contributor Information
Hospitalists and other physicians are finding that their happiness level and work-life balance are not springing back easily as COVID-19's effects on the workplace wane. Many hospitalists are struggling to find the same level of contentment that they enjoyed before the pandemic: to feel like they are healthy people with enough time for their families.
This year's report examines how quickly and effectively hospitalists are regaining happy and healthy lifestyles, marriages, family relationships, and personal habits. Fulfillment in their careers is another important topic. Nearly 9200 doctors across 29 specialties responded to our survey.
(Note: Some totals in this presentation do not equal 100% because of rounding.)
Jon McKenna | February 22, 2023 | Contributor Information
These days, many people, including doctors, judge their overall happiness against how they felt before the pandemic.
For hospitalists, our survey shows that results are about the same. Around the same share of hospitalists as in our 2022 report (83%) said that they were very or somewhat happy people outside of work before COVID-19 hit.
How that happiness gap can be closed and how quickly are vital questions for the profession.
Jon McKenna | February 22, 2023 | Contributor Information
Though the pandemic's worst body blows to Americans' lives seem to have passed, a slightly smaller share of hospitalists as in last year's report (54%) said that they are very or somewhat happy away from the office today.
Jon McKenna | February 22, 2023 | Contributor Information
As for how they feel during the workday, COVID-19 again has dealt a blow to sustained happiness from which hospitalists clearly have yet to recover.
One reason that hospitalists' happiness hasn't increased may be that they are unable to work remotely, as is possible in many other industries. For example, in a study by applications software provider Qualtrics, 43% of US employees said that their work-life balance improved during and after the pandemic. They often gave the credit to increased remote work.
Jon McKenna | February 22, 2023 | Contributor Information
The approaches that hospitalists take to become well-rounded people are pretty consistent with when we asked this question last year. They prioritized the survey's list of choices in the same order and, in most cases, with similar percentages.
Quality time with family and friends and tending to relaxing hobbies seem to be helping hospitalists.
Jon McKenna | February 22, 2023 | Contributor Information
Hospitals in New England apparently continue to be supportive workplaces for doctors; last year, those states were second among all regions. The East North Central region rated last in our 2022 report, but for whatever reasons, hospitalists in those midwestern states are relatively happier today.
Jon McKenna | February 22, 2023 | Contributor Information
A substantially higher share of female hospitalists said that they deal with the strongest feelings of conflict in trying to balance parenting responsibilities with a highly demanding job.
Adding to the stress, female physicians often have a hard time talking about that conflict with their bosses and turn down career-advancement opportunities, according to a JAMA Network Open article.
Jon McKenna | February 22, 2023 | Contributor Information
A slightly smaller share of hospitalists than of physicians overall (40%) said that they tend to their health and wellness "always" or "most of the time." A slightly greater share of hospitalists than of all doctors (43%) said that they "sometimes" do so.
One compelling reason why physicians need to pay more attention to their own wellness: A 2022 Medscape report found that 47% of doctors felt burned out, up from 42% 1 year earlier.
Jon McKenna | February 22, 2023 | Contributor Information
Compared with hospitalists (30%), 35% of physicians overall said that they work out four times or more a week. Seventy percent of hospitalists said that they exercise at most three times weekly vs 66% of all doctors.
Of course, physicians have frantic schedules, but experts say this exercise frequency could still be improved. The US Department of Health and Human Services recommends a minimum of 2.5 hours per week of moderately intensive exercise. What's more, a study by Harvard researchers recommended more intensive exercise if you want real benefits.
Jon McKenna | February 22, 2023 | Contributor Information
In last year's report, 55% of hospitalists said that the "earn less to enjoy life more" deal sounded good to them.
The National Bureau of Economic Research ran this choice by average American workers and found that 40% would take the pay cut. Perhaps the demands of medicine make the trade-off more appealing to doctors, or maybe it's a more manageable decision given their incomes.
Jon McKenna | February 22, 2023 | Contributor Information
The news is mixed in terms of how much hospitalists drink. For example, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines "heavy drinking" as more than 14 drinks per week for an average man and more than seven for a woman. With 6% of hospitalists consuming seven or more drinks weekly, this indicates that they probably trail the approximate 6% of the US population with an alcohol use disorder.
On the other hand, about 34% of American adults drink no alcohol at all, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Jon McKenna | February 22, 2023 | Contributor Information
61% of all physicians said that they spend 10 hours or less a week online for personal reasons, 27% put in 11-20 hours weekly, and 11% are on the internet for at least 21 hours. So, how do doctors stack up against other Americans in terms of their internet appetite away from the office?
Research from the USC Annenberg Center for the Digital Future showed that the average American spends about 18 hours each week online at home. A minority of physicians are on their phones and other devices that often.
Jon McKenna | February 22, 2023 | Contributor Information
The great majority of hospitalists (men or women) are married or in a committed relationship. Even so, though the stats didn't change much for men, in last year's report, 65% of female hospitalists said that they were married and 17% said that they were single.
Jon McKenna | February 22, 2023 | Contributor Information
Over the past decade, the marriage/committed relationship rate among male doctors has either held steady or gradually climbed. Female physicians stay unattached more frequently than their male counterparts do, and the trend line does not indicate that the gap is closing.
Jon McKenna | February 22, 2023 | Contributor Information
The frequency with which hospitalists said that they enjoy "very good" or "good" marriages is down slightly than in last year's report (79%).
Still, physicians experience marital turmoil similar to what's seen in the general public. The 24.3% divorce rate among physicians — though somewhat lower than in the general US population — shows that their marriages are failing frequently, a Journal of the American College of Cardiology article's analysis found. And female doctors are divorcing more often than their male counterparts are.
Jon McKenna | February 22, 2023 | Contributor Information
Hospitalists more often said that their spouse or significant other was a fellow physician than did doctors overall (20%).
Why do doctors wind up marrying another physician or someone else in the healthcare field nearly half the time? One big reason, according to an American Medical Association article, is that physicians form many of their close friendships with others working the same crazy hours, starting in medical school and residency. And a lot of marriages began as close friendships.
Jon McKenna | February 22, 2023 | Contributor Information
Hospitalists are pretty much in line with physicians overall (yes 69%, no 25%) in having spiritual or religious beliefs.
How do hospitalists compare with average Americans here? They're slightly less likely to be believers, apparently. A Gallup poll found that 76% of Americans identify with a specific religious faith (which doesn't include spiritual beliefs outside of a mainstream religion).
Jon McKenna | February 22, 2023 | Contributor Information
Hospitalists fit the profile here of doctors overall, half of whom also are trying to shed some pounds.
One could interpret this as a warning sign — or as evidence that physicians are unusually disciplined people. A recent Gallup poll discovered that though 55% of Americans would like to lose weight, only 26% are seriously trying to do so.
Jon McKenna | February 22, 2023 | Contributor Information
The top preferences for hospitalists are very similar to those of physicians in general. For 6 years in a row, Toyota, Honda, and BMW have ranked No. 1, 2, and 3 with doctors overall.
It's worth noting that Tesla is climbing the rankings (sixth with hospitalists vs 12th in last year's report). Medscape has noted before the growing popularity of high-end electric vehicles among physicians.
Jon McKenna | February 22, 2023 | Contributor Information
Eighty-seven percent of hospitalists kept vacation time at 4 weeks per year or less, a somewhat higher share than the 79% for all physicians. The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the number and length of family vacations, and it may take some time for long leisure trips to return in force.
Jon McKenna | February 22, 2023 | Contributor Information
The great majority of hospitalists do not regularly use cannabidiol (CBD) or cannabis for either recreational or medical purposes, although doctors overall took an even dimmer view (91% will not use).
An interesting question is whether this stance will shift as more states legalize recreational marijuana. Voters in Maryland and Missouri did so in the recent midterm elections, bringing the list to 21 states plus the District of Columbia. Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia now allow medical use of cannabis products.
Medscape Physician Lifestyle & Happiness Report 2023: Personal and Work Satisfaction Make a Comeback
Physicians discuss their personal and professional happiness, how they strive for work-life balance, and successes and failures in looking after their own physical and mental health.Medscape Features Slideshow, Jan 2023
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Jon McKenna
Senior Editor, Reports
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