Browsing by Author "Kessler, Chad"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Continuing the Transformation: Charting the Path for the Future Delivery of Veteran Emergency Care
    (Wiley, 2023) Ward, Michael J.; Kessler, Chad; Abel, Erica A.; Ahern, Justin; Bravata, Dawn M.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Important changes in the delivery of Veteran emergency care in the early 2000s in the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) emergency departments and urgent care clinics substantially elevated the role of emergency medicine (EM) in Veteran health care. Focused on enhancing the quality of care, emergency care visits in both VA and non-VA (community) care locations have nearly doubled from the 1980s to more than 3 million visits in Fiscal Year 2022. Recognizing the need to plan for continued growth and the opportunity to address key research priorities, the VA Office of Emergency Medicine, together with the VA Health Services Research and Development Service, collaborated to convene a State of the Art Conference on Veteran Emergency Medicine (SAVE) in the winter of 2022. The goal of this conference was to identify research gaps and priorities for implementation of policies for three priority groups: geriatric Veterans, Veterans with mental health and substance use complaints, and Veterans presenting to non-VA (community) emergency care sites. In this article we discuss the rationale for the SAVE conference including a brief history of VA EM and the planning process and conclude with next steps for findings from the conference.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Does academic practice protect emergency physicians against burnout?
    (Wiley, 2020-12-11) Norvell, Jeffrey G.; Baker, Annalee M.; Carlberg, David J.; Diller, David; Dziedzic, Jacqueline M.; Finnell, John T.; Greenberger, Sarah; Kessler, Chad; Lo, Bruce M.; Moungey, Brooke M.; Schiller, Elizabeth; Walter, Lauren A.; Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine
    Burnout is a complex syndrome thought to result from long‐term exposure to career‐related stressors. Physicians are at higher risk for burnout than the general United States (US) working population, and emergency medicine has some of the highest burnout rates of any medical specialty. Burnout impacts physicians’ quality of life, but it can also increase medical errors and negatively affect patient safety. Several studies have reported lower burnout rates and higher job satisfaction in academic medicine as compared with private practice. However, researchers have only begun to explore the factors that underlie this protective effect. This paper aims to review existing literature to identify specific aspects of academic practice in emergency medicine that may be associated with lower physician burnout rates and greater career satisfaction. Broadly, it appears that spending time in the area of emergency medicine one finds most meaningful has been associated with reduced physician burnout. Certain non‐clinical academic work, including involvement in research, leadership, teaching, and mentorship, have been identified as specific activities that may protect against burnout and contribute to higher job satisfaction. Given the epidemic of physician burnout, hospitals and practice groups have a responsibility to address burnout, both by prevention and by early recognition and support. We discuss methods by which organizations can actively foster physician well‐being and provide examples of 2 leading academic institutions that have developed comprehensive programs to promote physician wellness and prevent burnout.