While a minority of physicians may call in sick, most still suffer through their sneezing, coughing, chills, and fever while seeing patients as usual.
Before the pandemic, physicians came to work sick, as people do in many other professions. The reasons are likely as varied as,"You weren't feeling bad enough to miss work,""You couldn't afford to miss pay,""You had too many patients to see," or"Too much work to do."61% of physicians reported that they sometimes or often come to work sick. Only 2% of respondents said they never come to work unwell.
, and fever symptoms, and, of course, COVID. Results were split about 50-50 among male and female physicians. The poll ran from September 28 through October 11.It's no surprise that the majority of physicians who were polled have come to work sick in 2022. In the last prepandemic year , about 70% came to work feeling sick one to five times, and 13% worked while sick six to 10 times.
Some 45% said the expectation at their workplace is to come to work unless seriously ill; 43% had too many patients to see; and 18% didn't think they were contagious when they headed to work sick. Unfortunately, 15% chose to work while sick because otherwise they would lose pay. "Unless I'm dying or extremely contagious, I usually work. At least now, I have the telehealth option. Not saying any of this is right, but it's the reality we deal with and the choice we must make," says Briggs.
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