Do as I Say, Not as I Do: Resident Physicians' Approach to Seeking Care During Times of Acute Physical Illness

INTRODUCTION: Surgeons must be healthy to perform surgery safely. Surgical residents may not seek appropriate care when acutely physically ill due to demands and workplace culture. This study aimed to understand delays in seeking care and use of informal care among surgical residents. METHODS: Cross-sectional multi-institutional survey of residents from nine geographically diverse US general surgery residencies that explored the topics of healthcare for physical illness, delay in care, and informal care (self-diagnosing or diagnosed/treated by colleagues) (Figure). Quantitative data were evaluated with summary statistics.FigureRESULTS: The response rate was 50% (232/460). Sixty-three percent (147/232) reported having delayed care for a physical condition since starting residency. The most common reason for delaying care was not wanting to create more work for colleagues, which was reported by 72% (106/147). The most common consequence of delaying care was declining work quality in 27% (39/147), while 18% (26/147) reported having an emergency procedure that could have been avoided. Overall, 62% (144/232) reported having self-diagnosed/self-treated a physical illness while 60% (140/232) reported asking for informal care from a colleague. Of the informal care accessed, 44% (63/144) reported self-prescribing prescription medications while 44% (61/144) asked for a colleague to do so. CONCLUSION: Most surgical residents have delayed seeking care for an acute physical illness during residency. This negatively impacts residents’ health and work quality and is attributed to workload and workplace culture. Not surprisingly, residents access informal care frequently. Structural and cultural change are needed to ensure the physical well-being of surgical residents.