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- Title
Arbeitsbedingte Fatigue in der Anästhesiologie in Deutschland - Auswirkungen auf das eigene Wohlbefinden und die Patientensicherheit.
- Authors
Abramovich, I.; Trinks, A.
- Abstract
Physicians in anaesthesiology play a significant role in emergency and elective patient care as they are most often regularly employed in operating rooms, intensive care units, and emergency medicine. These areas often require long, exhausting work hours, and intensive on-call work and shift work, characterised by inadequate rest breaks between shifts. The persistent workload under such conditions adversely affects the long-term well-being of medical professionals. With the increasing fatigue of the workforce, predictable impacts on patient safety, clinical performance, and long-term staff availability arise. In European surveys conducted between 2022 and 2023, responses from 168 residents (ÄIW) and 270 specialists (FÄ) in Germany were analysed and compared secondarily with European data. Specialists report an average of 12.3 additional working hours per week over contractual agreements. ÄIW report of moderate to poor sleep quality between and after shifts, and often lacking breaks during service. Alarmingly, 70 % (n = 105) of ÄIW admit to having made clinical errors or near misses due to fatigue. The maximum continuous working time for most survey participants is still 24 - 36 hours. On-call services for the majority of specialists are characterised by frequent sleep interruptions and mandatory presence at their hospital. Only 40 % of respondents indicate that rest periods of 11 hours, as per the European Working Time Directive, are always adhered to. Overall, there is an increased awareness of the impact of work-related fatigue on patient safety, staff well-being, and physical and mental health. Departments should ensure that their rosters comply with the European Working Time Directive. On a national level, a fatigue risk management system could mitigate the impact of fatigue on the healthcare system. It is equally important to consider the specific challenges and effects of fatigue on ÄIW and implement appropriate support measures to sustain the workforce in the long term.
- Subjects
GERMANY; PATIENT safety; MENTAL health; PSYCHOLOGICAL burnout; FATIGUE (Physiology); RISK management in business; WORK-life balance; SURVEYS; HOSPITAL medical staff; JOB stress; PHYSICIANS; ANESTHESIA; WELL-being; SHIFT systems; SLEEP hygiene; EMPLOYEES' workload
- Publication
Anaesthesiologie & Intensivmedizin, 2024, Vol 65, p289
- ISSN
0170-5334
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.19224/ai2024.289