Work-life balance skewed for many PCPs, survey says

Lower reimbursements and the struggle to maintain a healthy balance between their work and personal lives are the top challenges facing primary care physicians (PCPs), according to a recent survey.

At 44% each, those two factors were the most frequently cited challenges by 1,066 PCPs in a survey by mobile health company Epocrates.

Other top challenges PCPs cited in the survey were uncertainty about government regulation (43%), lack of adequate time with patients (41%), and the increasing cost of practicing medicine (39%), according to Epocrates.

Various other studies on the subject support these findings. Last year, researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that PCPs are among the types of doctors most at-risk for burnout.

In the Epocrates survey, 89% of PCPs said their stress levels have grown over the years, with 46% characterizing the growth in stress as significant.

The PCP shortage, which could add to existing PCPs’ stress, was cited as the top concern among survey respondents.