Fatigue in radiology | Everlight Radiology

Burnout in Medicine generally and Radiology in particular is a growing concern. A General Medical Council annual survey of the UK’s trainee doctors, published in July 2022 and based on responses from around 67,000 medics, found that “the risk of burnout is now at its worst since it was first tracked in 2018” due to heavy workloads.

Doctors are the cornerstones of our healthcare system, but what happens when those cornerstones are under intense pressure continually? Burnout, overwork, and fatigue are widespread issues among medical professionals, and the consequences are far-reaching. Not only does it impact their well-being, but it also jeopardizes patient safety.

The 2023 Workplace Experiences Report from the GMC found that in 2022, more than two-fifths of doctors (44%) said they found it difficult to provide sufficient patient care at least once a week. This is a significant increase from 2021, when a quarter of doctors (25%) reported this, and more than 2019, when a third of doctors said this (34%).

The impact of fatigue

When doctors work long hours or through the night, they experience sleep deprivation. Research shows that this negatively impacts cognitive function. Reaction times slow, memory falters, and decision-making suffers. These are critical skills for a doctor, and when compromised, the risk of medical errors rises.

One study comparing the accuracy of reporting during overnight assignments versus daytime assignments in CT studies found radiologists were 35 times more likely to make a mistake on the night shift, and even more frequently during the latter part of those night shifts.

A review in BMJ Open highlights how fatigue contributes to diagnostic errors, medication mistakes, and even surgical complications4. Exhaustion can also lead to decreased communication and empathy, hindering the crucial doctor-patient relationship.

Always awake, always alert.

At Everlight, we never ask our doctors to work an overnight shift.

Our over 800 Consultant Radiologists are located in every timezone across the world, and across every continent but Antarctica, meaning it's always daylight somewhere in the Everlight world. Your 3am emergency scan could be reported by an Everlight radiologist over their 11am coffee, ensuring a swift and safe service for our patients.