Doctors cite concern for patients, colleagues top motives for working sick

Public Release: 18-Jun-2012
 Archives of Internal Medicine
Doctors cite concern for patients, colleagues top motives for working sick
A poll of 150 resident physicians found more than half had worked with flu-like symptoms at least once in the last year. One in six reported working sick three or more times during the year, according to the survey conducted by researchers at University of Chicago Medicine and Massachusetts General Hospital. Nearly ten percent of respondents believed they'd transmitted an illness to a patient and 20 percent believed other residents had passed an illness to a patient.   

Here is what the article states, "Researchers say a physician's sense of loyalty to already-overwhelmed peers, along with a commitment to patient care, often conflicts with an ethical stance against exposing patients and staff to an illness or compromised performance."

Their commitment to patient care includes getting patients sick.