Debility Among Spinal Surgeons

Abstract

Background: As the climate of medical care continually shifts, more is expected of surgical specialists than ever before. The rate of burnout among providers appears to be increasing, whereas the career longevity of the modern physician continues to rise to meet the growing demands of our patient population. Spinal surgery is a demanding field, requiring significant amounts of mental and physical fortitude. We intend to highlight issues that cause debility in this cohort of providers.

Methods: This study surveyed the members of the North American Spine Society to better ascertain the issues that plague our profession in relation to physical and mental debility. The survey included multiple-choice questions regarding demographics, burnout, and health status, among other physical and mental health concerns.

Results: We achieved a 19% response rate. Eighty percent of responders highlighted physical debility, and psychological, social, and/or behavioral debility (e.g., burnout) was reported by 39% of respondents.

Conclusions: This study highlights the need to improve the work environment and maintain physician health. Although this report sheds light on the problems affecting our colleagues, there is much work that is needed to improve on them. Often the medical philosophy is to ignore one's own personal discomfort in the quest to help patients. In an era in which physician career longevity is needed, these issues must be identified and addressed.

Keywords: Burnout; Debility; Ergonomics; Musculoskeletal pain; Spine surgeons.