Tumor boards place a significantly higher burden on radiologists when compared to other physicians, according to a new analysis published Tuesday in JAMA Network Open [1].
The same can be said for pathologists, along with physicians who have two or more children, and those who must attend such meetings early in the morning or late at night. These findings were derived from a survey of 111 physicians affiliated with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, reached via social media and email.
Researchers with the Los Angeles-based institution believe their study provides important information for institutions seeking to address physician burnout.
“Future strategies should aim to decrease burden, particularly the disparate burden on parents and women,” Brittney L. Chau, MD, with the Department of Medicine at New York Medical College, and co-authors concluded. “These strategies should include organizational changes to improve work-life balance and the wellness of physicians and their families, increasing tumor board efficiency, and/or providing compensation for tumor board time.”
Chau et al. conducted the study in March and April of 2022, asking physicians to rate their tumor board burden on a four-point scale. A score of 1 represented “not at all burdensome” while a 4 represented “very burdensome.” Factors associated with higher probability of tumor board burden included practicing radiology or pathology, attending three or more hours per week of tumor boards, and having two or more children. Early or late tumor boards (before 8 a.m. or after 5 p.m.) were labeled “very burdensome” by 33 respondents (30%).
Physicians who were also parents frequently reported a negative burden on childcare (56%) and family dynamics (64%). Chau and co-authors also found that a higher level of burden from early or late-night tumor boards was independently associated with identifying as a woman and having children. A secondary analysis of 358 tumor boards across 22 U.S. institutions revealed that the most common start time was before 8 a.m. (25%).
“Together, these results expand on prior research and add to the growing body of literature on workplace burden, physician wellness and the burden on physician parents,” according to the study. “For pathologists and radiologists, considerable time is required to prepare cases (e.g., review slides, microscopy and images),” the authors added later. “Therefore, it is not surprising that radiology or pathology specialty was associated with a higher level of [tumor board burden] in this study.”
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Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.