Many older physicians feel that they are providing a useful service, desire part-time or occasional work
THURSDAY, Oct. 5, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Physicians are delaying retirement, often because they feel they are providing a useful service to patients or because of concerns about social interaction in retirement, according to an article published online Sept. 25 in Medical Economics.
According to a new study from CompHealth, social interaction was the greatest retirement concern. In addition, 91 percent of physicians still feel that they can provide a useful service to patients. However, some older physicians have resisted using electronic health records, which may lead them to retire before they are ready.
About half (51 percent) of respondents said that working occasionally or part time is part of their ideal retirement plans, and 76 percent said they would like to travel more in retirement. For those physicians who want to retire, burnout due to stress and work hours, as well as increasing government intrusion, play a role.
“A huge amount of experience in the senior doctor can be of value,” Murray Grossan, M.D., age 95, from the ear, nose, and throat specialty group at Cedars Sinai Center in Los Angeles, said in the article. “I’ve certainly thought about retiring, but when you consider what gives you energy, it turns out to be doing medicine and solving medical problems.”
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