Browsing by Author "Doehring, Marla C."
Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Establishing a Novel Group-based Litigation Peer Support Program to Promote Wellness for Physicians Involved in Medical Malpractice Lawsuits(University of California, 2023) Doehring, Marla C.; Strachan, Christian C.; Haut, Lindsey; Heniff, Melanie; Crevier, Karen; Crittendon, Megan; Nault Connors, Jill; Welch, Julie L.; Emergency Medicine, School of MedicineIntroduction: Being named as a defendant in a malpractice lawsuit is known to be a particularly high-stress and vulnerable time for a physician. Medical malpractice stress syndrome (MMSS) is a consequence of being named as a physician defendant in a malpractice lawsuit. Symptoms include depression, anxiety, and insomnia, which may lead to burnout, loss of confidence in clinical decision-making, substance abuse, strain on personal and professional relationships, and suicidal ideation. Although the legal process requires strict confidentiality regarding the specific details of the legal case, discussing the emotional impact of the case is not prohibited. Given that physicians often do not choose formalized therapy with a licensed professional, there is a recognized need to provide physicians with options to support their wellness during a lawsuit. Methods: The peer support model is a promising option to address the negative impacts to wellness that physician defendants face during medical malpractice lawsuits. We developed and implemented a peer support program to provide a safe, protected space for discussion of the personal impact of a lawsuit and to normalize this experience among peer physicians. Results: Physicians were receptive to joining a peer support group to discuss the personal impacts of being named in a medical malpractice lawsuit. Participants in this novel group-based program found it helpful and would unanimously recommend it to others who are being sued. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this pilot study is the first to implement and assess a facilitated, group-based peer support model for emergency physicians who are named as defendants in malpractice lawsuits. While group discussions demonstrated that symptoms of acute distress and MMSS were prevalent among physicians who were being sued, in this study physicians were receptive to and felt better after peer support sessions. Despite increasing burnout in the specialty of emergency medicine (EM) during the study time frame, burnout did not worsen in participants. Extrapolating from this pilot program, we hypothesize that formal peer support offered by EM groups can be an effective option to normalize the experience of being sued, promote wellness, and benefit physicians who endure the often long and stressful process of a medical malpractice lawsuit.Item Flexibility in Faculty Work-Life Policies at Medical Schools in the Big Ten Conference: A Ten-Year Follow-up Study(Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., 2022) Wagner, Emily A.; Jansen, Jaclyn H.; DeLuna, Hannah; Anderson, Katherine; Doehring, Marla C.; Welch , Julie L.; Emergency Medicine, School of MedicineBackground: Flexible work-life policies for medical school faculty are necessary to support career progress, advancement, retention, and job satisfaction. Objective: Our objective was to perform a 10-year follow-up descriptive assessment of the availability of flexible work-life policies for faculty in medical schools in the Big Ten Conference. Design: In this descriptive study, a modified objective scoring system was used to evaluate the flexibility of faculty work-life policies at 13 medical schools in the Big Ten Conference. Policy information was obtained from institutional websites and verified with the human resources offices. Scores from the 2011 study and 2020 were compared. Results: Michigan State and Ohio State Universities offered the most flexible policies (score 17.75/22) with the University of Michigan following (score 16.75/22). The largest delta scores, indicating more flexible policies in the past decade, were at University of Michigan (6) and University of Minnesota (5.25). Policies for parental leave and part-time faculty varied widely. Most schools earned an additional point in the newly added category of “flexible scheduling and return-to-work policies.” Nearly every institution reported dedicated lactation spaces and improved childcare options. Limitations: Limitations included missing policy data and interpretation bias in reviewing the policy websites, unavailable baseline data for schools that joined the Big Ten after the 2011 study, and unavailable baseline data for the additional category of return-to-work policies. Conclusions: While progress has been made, every institution should challenge themselves to review flexibility in work-life policies for faculty. It is important to advance a healthy competition with the goal to achieve more forward-thinking policies that improve retention, recruitment, and advancement of faculty. Big Ten institutions can continue to advance their policies by providing greater ease of access to options, further expansion of parental leave and childcare support, and offering more flexible policies for part-time faculty.Item Simultaneous Bilateral Quadriceps Tendon Rupture in an Adult Man(University of California, 2022) Doehring, Marla C.; Propst, Steven L.; Emergency Medicine, School of MedicineCase presentation: A previously healthy 45-year-old man presented to the emergency department with bilateral knee pain and inability to extend his knees after a slip and fall on ice. The clinical diagnosis of bilateral quadriceps tendon rupture was confirmed by computed tomography (CT) of bilateral knees. The patient underwent successful operative repair the following day. Discussion: Bilateral quadriceps tendon rupture is rare and can be difficult to diagnose due to the impossibility of comparing the affected to the unaffected limb. Plain radiographs are usually not helpful, but ultrasound, CT, and magnetic resonance imaging may be used to confirm the clinical diagnosis.