Internet CME Course: MedPEP, the Medical Professionals Empowerment Program MedPEP) – Episode 18: Managing Unrealistic Expectations

Activity ID

2958

Expires

January 24, 2025

Format Type

Internet

CME Credit

1.0

Fee

$0

CME Provider: Massachusetts Medical Society

Description of CME Course

MedPEP, the Medical Professionals Empowerment Program, is a Free podcast series jointly provided by Physician Health Services, Inc. (PHS) and the Massachusetts Medical Society. PHS is a charitable organization dedicated to improving the health, well-being and effectiveness of physicians and medical students.

Regulations, technology, organizational complexity, and the explosion of medical knowledge have created a perfect storm for most practicing health professionals. Physician burnout rates now exceed 50%. MedPEP’s star, Dr. Marie Curious, is a young, primary care internist who has started to fantasize about leaving the profession that she loves. On her MedPEP journey, Marie joins Dr. Les Schwab and a group of specialized physicians, coaches, and other experts, who offer a broad range of practical techniques to help her survive and thrive in today’s tough medical environment. The territory they cover includes nutrition, exercise, getting along with difficult colleagues, dealing with bureaucracy and bosses, multi-tasking, system improvement, meditation, and addiction. The MedPEP journey helps Marie, and other health professionals facing similar challenges, gain insight into practical methods for empowering themselves as well as their teams, employers, and the broken system.

Every practicing physician has had the experience of feeling powerless in the face of patient expectations that come across as overblown or unrealistic. Addiction psychiatrist Mark Green, MD, shares with Drs. Curious and Schwab that an effective strategy for managing such expectations is for the health professional to join with the patient by acknowledging their shared experience of powerlessness. In this episode, Dr. Green reflects on the work he has done helping primary care physicians manage challenging patients with chronic pain and so-called “drug-seeking behavior.” He observes that sometimes physicians who are rushed for time and feel compelled to “do something” may inadvertently end up hurting their patients, rather than helping. Sadly, this problematic dynamic may be one of the root causes of the opioid epidemic. Although patients may expect physicians to alleviate their pain and meet other expectations, it is the professional’s job to help them differentiate between unrealistic hopes and achievable goals. By taking time to listen to patients and gain a deeper understanding of the causes of their distress, it is sometimes possible to accomplish more by doing less (fewer unnecessary tests, less medication). Empathically engaging with patients, understanding their helplessness, and sharing in patients’ powerlessness all may reduce their suffering, loneliness, and desperation. Although Dr. Green acknowledges that taking the time to forge these kinds of connections to patients may be draining to the professional, he describes it as potentially fulfilling and even invigorating. In fact, he believes that burnout ensues when physicians and other professionals find themselves in practice situations that deprive them of the opportunity to connect with and listen to their patients. Dr. Green recommends acknowledging one’s powerlessness as an act of self-compassion. His counterintuitive perspective provides Marie and Les with much food for thought.

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