While doctors are primarily seen as caregivers, there is growing evidence to support that physicians are experiencing significant moral injury in the aftermath of the COVID-pandemic. Unlike previous research, this study examines a post-pandemic climate which has proven to, for many, cause even more moral injury for physicians than during the pandemic years. Using semi-structured interviews of 11 currently practicing physicians, primarily pediatricians in Florida, the study answers the question: What factors have had the greatest impact on post-pandemic moral injury in doctors? Reflexive thematic analysis of the data revealed three major findings. First physicians were reluctant to label their feelings of moral injury despite acknowledging the presence of its symptoms. Second, participants reported notable erosion of trust between both the patient and the doctor as well as between the doctor and medical institutions. Finally, corporate physicians experienced significantly greater moral injury than independent practitioners, primarily due to lack of autonomy, productivity demands, and pressure from insurance companies. These findings suggest that moral injury did not cease as an issue in healthcare after the pandemic and instead has permeated through structural features of the health system. Attention to these system-wide factors is pertinent to improve provider mental health and patient outcomes.
Lauren Ray (Sat,) studied this question.