Status, causes and consequences of physicians' self-perceived professional reputation damage in China: a cross-sectional survey

BackgroundConflict between physicians and patients is an increasingly serious problem, leading to the disrepute attached to Chinese physicians' social image and position. This study assesses the status of physicians' self-perceived professional reputation damage and explains it's the adverse outcomes including withdrawal behavior and workplace well-being. Moreover, potential causes of Chinese physicians' disrepute have been outlined.MethodsPrimary data were collected through a cross-sectional online survey of physicians from 10 provinces in China, who were invited to complete an anonymous survey from December 2018 to January 2019. A total of 842 physicians (effective response rate: 92.22%) were recruited as participants.ResultsAbout 83% of the participants self-perceived professional reputation damage from the sense of the public opinion concept. Approach half of participants exhibited the idea of turnover intention (47.3%) and one or more symptoms of burnout (46.4%). About 74.9% of the participants experienced a degree of stress. Additionally, three out of five participants reported low-level subjective well-being. More than 70% of the participants disapproved of their offspring becoming a physician. Four factors leading to physicians' damaged professional reputations are those addressed: conflict transfer, cognitive bias, improper management, and individual deviance. Stigmatised physicians are more likely to practice high-frequent defensive medicine (beta =0.172, P <0.001), intend to leave the profession (=0.240, P <0.001), disapprove of their children becoming physicians (=0.332, P<0.001) and yield worse levels of workplace well-being, including high levels of perceived stress (=0.214, P <0.001), increasing burnout (=0.209, P <0.001), and declining sense of well-being (=-0.311, P<0.001).ConclusionChinese physicians were aware of damaged professional reputations from the sense of the public opinion concept, which contributes to increasing withdrawal behaviors and decreasing workplace well-being-a worsening trend threatening the entire health system. This novel evidence argues a proposal that Chinese health policy-makers and hospital administrators should promote the destigmatization of physicians immediately.

Automated summary

This study found that Chinese physicians are aware of the damage to their professional reputations, leading to withdrawal behaviors and decreased workplace well-being. The study identified factors such as conflict transfer, cognitive bias, improper management, and individual deviance as causes of physicians' damaged professional reputations.