Doctor, heal thyself: Addressing the shorter life expectancy of doctors in India

Suicide deaths among medical students, residents and physicians in India spanning a decade (2010-2019): An exploratory study using on line news portals and Google database

BACKGROUND

Despite having one of the world's largest medical education consortium, India lacks a comprehensive and nationally representative data on suicide deaths among medical students and physicians unlike the one found in most of the developed nations of the world.

AIM

We aimed to explore the different characteristics of suicide deaths among medical students, residents and physicians in India over a decade (2010-2019).

METHODS

Content analysis of all suicide death reports among medical students, residents and physicians available from online news portals and other publicly available sites was done. Search was done retrospectively using pertinent search words individually or in combination with language restricted to Hindi and English and timed from January 2010 to December 2019. Reports on completed suicide by allopathic medical students, residents and physicians from India were included. Socio-demographic and suicidological variables were analysed using R software.

RESULTS

A total of 358 suicide deaths among medical students (125), residents (105) and physicians (128) were reported between 2010 and 2019. Around 7 out of 10 suicides happened before the age of 30 and had mean age 29.9 (±12.2) years. Female residents and physicians were younger than their male counterparts at the time of suicide. Overall maximum suicide deaths were concentrated in South India except the state of Kerala. The specialty of anesthesiology (22.4%) followed by obstetrics-gynaecology (16.0%) had the highest suicide deaths. Violent suicide methods were more commonly used by all, with hanging being the most common mean of suicide. Academic stress among medical students (45.2%) and residents (23.1%), and marital discord among physicians (26.7%) were the most noticeable reasons for suicide. Mental health problems were the next most common reason in medical students (24%) and physicians (20%) while harassment (20.5%) was in residents. Twenty six percent had exhibited suicide warning signs and only 13% had ever sought psychiatric help before ending their lives. A total of nine reports of suicide pact were found with the average deaths per pact being 2.4 and predominantly driven by financial reasons.

CONCLUSION

Academic stress among medical students and residents, and marital discord in physicians emerged as the key reasons for suicide. However, this preventable domain should be further explored through focused research. This is the first of its kind study from India which attempted to explore this vital yet neglected public health issue using the most feasible and practical method of online news content-based analysis.

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HYGIENE OF HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS IN THE CONTEXT OF HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT SAFETY

OBJECTIVE

The aim: This study was conducted to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the occupational safety and health of medical workers.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Materials and methods: The study involved a questionnaire survey and full-scale physiological and hygienic research using bibliosemantic, questionnaire, hygienic, and statistical methods.

RESULTS

Results: In the course of research it was recorded that the work of surgeons (according to the criteria of the current "Hygienic classification of work") is characterized by high intensity (class 3.2), high probability of exposure to infectious agents (class 3.3, and 4), harmful effects of physical factors (class 3.1 ), which according to the criteria of the general hygienic assessment of working conditions according to the degree of harmfulness and danger allows being assigned to class 3.3 ("harmful") and 4 ("dangerous"), respectively. Such working conditions provoke an increase in chronic morbidity (industrial and temporary disability), lead to the development of occupational diseases, and can pose a threat to the lives of workers. The need to focus attention on assessing the safety of hospitals in emergencies not only on issues of occupational safety and health but also on the stability and reliability of hospitals in such extreme conditions.

CONCLUSION

Conclusions: The work process of doctors is characterized by the impact on their body of a complex of unfavorable production factors of psycho-physiological, biological, physical, and chemical nature, among which the leaders are high labor intensity due to intellectual and emotional load, irrational mode of work and rest, and biological factors.

Sensitivity towards patient's presence to avoid violent situations in hospitals: An observatory study

CONTEXT

The process of communication includes intense observation based on which opinions are formed or situations are created. A patient whose is in state of panic due to the health conditions feels neglected and becomes skeptical about the treatment hi/she is going to receive.

AIMS

The aim of the study is to understand the need for being sensitive towards patient's presence while communicating.

SETTINGS AND DESIGN

It was conducted in the outpatient wing of clinics at three different cities of Karnataka using a Sequential Observatory Study design.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Based on the results obtained from the pilot study a final schedule was prepared and sent to people using google drive during the month of Dec 2019. Out of 200 filled forms only 55 patients/relatives were qualified for analysis. SPSS version 17.0 software, Microsoft word and Excel were used in data handling and analysis. Textual analysis was used for presenting interview data.

RESULTS

The qualitative analysis of the questionnaires found four emerging themes that disturbed the patients psychologically and such situations could lead to violence. The results prove that patients/relatives observe both verbal and nonverbal communication in the hospital from the time of their entry to exit.

CONCLUSION

The communication intended or unintended made some impact on the perceptions of the patients about the way they are going to be treated. This indicates that the workforce should be conscious of their behaviour.