What hospital physicians strain the most – diepresse.com

The dissatisfaction among hospital doctors is growing. Only 62 percent would vote for this profession again. 19 percent are « massively dissatisfied ». The displeasure with senior doctors is particularly great. 71 percent state that the work has become more unpleasant in recent years, followed by specialists (65 percent) and other doctors, such as those in training (63 percent).

This is the result of a survey among Austria’s hospital doctors, which the market research institute Imas carried out internationally on behalf of the federal curia of the employed doctors (BKAÄ) of the Austrian Medical Association (ÖÄK). 3851 doctors took part in the online survey, which took place in December 2024 and January 2025.

The main reasons for the frustration are too many administrative tasks and patient documentation (here stated 35 percent of being heavily burdened), constant time pressure (28 percent), too many night services (25 percent) and the pressure to have to absorb patients despite being overwhelmed (23 percent). In the burden of bureaucratic tasks, for example, there was an increase of five percent compared to 2019. The long-standing claim of the Medical Association after a nationwide introduction of documentation assistants in hospitals is still upright and more urgent than ever, says Harald Mayer, Kuria chairman and chamber vice president. « The results now present are a loud call for help from the hospital medical profession. It is not better, but worse. »

Working hours and digitization

The doctors also find the technical equipment in hospitals frustrating, in concrete terms, 32 percent see it a “rather” or “strong” burden, 15 percent not gradually gradually grade the technical equipment with the school grade: “This is an increase of six percentage points compared to 2019,” says Mayer. « Two years ago, the Federal Government proclaimed a digitization initiative in the hospitals. However, this initiative never got going. » The Medical Association therefore calls for a nationwide uniform body that takes over the « digital responsibility ».

Another sobering result: 74 percent of those surveyed under the age of 65 state that they can and want to perform the activity in the hospital « rather or very unlikely » even at the age of 65. « If nothing changes, three quarters of doctors will leave the health system before or with the regular pension. This development is fatal in view of the upcoming waves of the generation of baby boomers and the falling number of doctors in the coming generations, » said Mayer. Therefore, flexible working time models would have to be made possible to keep these resources, and also to bundle and use their expertise – for example in the training of the young doctors.

Mayer: « The results underpin our demand that working conditions in the hospitals have to be improved for years indicate 60 percent of those surveyed that working in the hospital has become more unpleasant in the past five years – this is contrary to what should have happened since the last survey of 2019, namely to ensure that doctors can do their job as the patients earn. » In 2019, 53 percent still stated that working in the hospital had become more unpleasant compared to 2014.

Mandatory patient steering

In addition to factors such as the better reconciliation of work, family and leisure, a weekly working time law-compliant weekly working time without hidden overtime, fewer night services as well as the possibility of part-time models, there is also one for Mayer, as he says, « general solution » in order to reduce the stress on the doctors: « We have to finally introduce a uniform, nationwide and binding patient steering to discharge hospital sampling-so many problems would be solved.  »

Using the example of the Netherlands, you can see how well that can work. Nobody can go to a hospital outpatient clinic without a transfer from the resident doctor. « Many people can therefore be optimally helped in the branch. On the other hand, everyone can use any levels of the health system, whether necessary or not. » He was confident that the new government would implement this necessary reform step, « since it was clearly recognized as a problem in the government program ».