How Do Medical Staff Deal with Their Stress in Medical Imaging?

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How Do Medical Staff Deal with Their Stress in Medical Imaging?
Medical Imaging or radiography is a critical department in the healthcare niche because of its role in contributing to the accurate diagnosis of diseases. According to Larson and Langlotz, diagnostic radiology remains one of the unique specialties, including laboratory medicine and anatomic pathology, that prioritizes diagnosis with minimal responsibility in treatment (992). Imaging has demonstrated its invaluable nature in contemporary medicine because it provides essential information for early diagnosis and monitoring and accompanies this data with radiologist-dependent interpretation. As a result, these experts maintain strong relationships with the clinical teams. This aspect reveals that their work increases as clinical teams increase because of their interrelationship. As a result, these professionals have constantly been experienced increased burnout and work-related stress due to their demanding roles, including executing their duties and coordinating with other teams on demand. Thus, their central location within the healthcare process makes their services critical.
Reasons for Selecting this Topic
The primary reason for selecting this topic is because the medical imaging area appears to be attracting minimal policy-related attention despite the drastic changes leading to a rise in stress and burnout among the affected professionals. For instance, Chetlen et al. acknowledge that radiologists are experiencing unprecedented burnout rates (1). The authors recognize that this aspect has been gradually changing over the years, increasing pressure on the medical practitioners in this department. Statistics reveal that over 50% of American healthcare providers report grappling with diverse burnout symptoms, including stress (Chetlen et al. 1). These high levels are concerning because of their associated consequences, comprising adverse impacts on the safety and quality of healthcare provided to the patients. The worse outcome is that it can also induce increased turnover, aggravating the situation because of the associated ripple effects of losing experienced personnel.
As part of the larger healthcare team, radiologists’ welfare remains second to other prominent professionals. As a result, a higher probability of their plights being overlooked exists, explaining the importance of exploring this topic. According to the European Society of Radiology 2009, many super-specialist areas attract significant attention in the healthcare niche, creating an impression that radiographers and other imaging experts have not significantly contributed to the health industry (2). This perception may lead to efforts and resources becoming redirected to other disciplines, leaving the area under-resourced. Perhaps, these aspects explain why a considerable proportion of medical imaging experts report suffering from different burnouts. Chetlen et al. report that a survey conducted in 2014 using the Maslach Burnout Inventory tool reported approximately 61% of radiologists struggled with work-related stress (1). Other studies have also reported disturbing statistics and established trends that the stress levels have been increasing gradually. A...