Physicians Office Resource Volume 9 Issue 09 | Page 13


 BEST OF MOBILE HEALTH TECHNOLOGIES 2015 On the Brink of Physician Meltdown? Make a Parody Twitter Account (Seriously!) O Dylan J. Chadwick Physicians Office Resource Staff Writer activities and persistent monitoring of one’s workplace investments are paramount for staving off burnout, modern technology affords us more ways to work through our own frustrations than ever before. Many physicians find their days a confusing labyrinth of missed appointment, over-bookings and the endless barrage of other “variables” that accompany a day in the office. In this reality, physicians must often settle on finding their “workplace solace” in whatever intermittent private moments they can find. ccupational burnout is a condition in which an individual’s physical, mental and/or emotional well-being are compromised or otherwise negatively affected by overworking. Once upon a time, “burnout” wasn’t even a buzzword, let alone a legitimate affliction, but as our culture evolves and we don our “business casual” in place of the stone spears and loin cloths our hunter/gatherer progenitors took to work, a new breeds of hazardous workplace pitfalls abound. In reality, burnout isn’t specific to any one type of occupation. Its damaging effects ravage those in white, blue or no-collar positions equally, not just those with “high intensity” demands like firefighters or combat soldiers. As health news aggregators continue publishing articles on burnout and why it continues to plague physicians, a common strain runs through every case of burnout: maintaining a strong work-life balance. With their long days, unpredictable schedules and the constituent emotional demands which can accompany health care, physicians often find themselves waist deep in the throes of burnout long before they’ve even noticed any of the warning signs. Luckily, there are numerous remedies to assuage the detriments of physician burnout, and each individual must choose one specific to them. Many find that elusive peace and balance in taking time off for scheduled trips and vacations with their families, to rediscover old hobbies that help define them as individuals, and promote a strong sense of self to give their all at work, and effectively separate at the end of the day. But while a strong self-care regimen of extra-curricular Parody Twitter Accounts Seriously though, why not use parody Twitter accounts to combat physician burnout? Just hear me out. For those (still) new to the Twittersphere, or for those who think Twitter is beneath them, parody Twitter accounts are one of the social platforms greatest contributions to contemporary society. Well, besides being an excellent way to distribute content, and keep up with whatever public relations mess Hulk Hogan is getting himself into. Parody accounts are, just as their names suggest, Twitter accounts which parody a person, institution or idea as a pretend Twitter account. If parody news sites like The Onion are any indication, it’s that in today’s culture of fast information transfer and vapid sarcasm, “phony” is still very much “funny” in terms of comedy currency. Some parody accounts poke… This article is continued at: www.PhysiciansOfficeNews.com 13 www.PhysiciansOfficeResource.com