Sleep severity and fatigue manifestations in relation to the doctor-patient relationship

The doctor-patient relationship has an important role in the delivery of high-quality healthcare. The aim of the present study was to explore and evaluate the impact of sleep severity and fatigue manifestations on doctor-patient relationships.

The present study was an analysis of a cross-sectional sample of a total of 123 physicians with different specialties and work in various shifts in Iraq. Sleep severity difficulty was measured by Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) in accordance with the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) and the multidimensional nature of fatigue was assessed by the Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory-Short Form (MFSI-SF). Moreover, the doctor-patient relationship was measured by Difficult Doctor-Patient Relationship Questionnaire (DDPRQ-10).

In this study, nearly half of the physicians (45.5%) were insomniacs. The total fatigue score was 9.46; general fatigue (Mean (M): 5.84 of 24); physical fatigue (M: 5.15 of 24); emotional fatigue (M: 6.04 of 24); mental fatigue (M: 5.45 of 24); and vigor (M: 12.98 of 24). The doctors felt slight irritation in their communications with patients (M: 2.33); had moderate dysphoria (M: 3.37); had slight compliance in their communications (M: 1.71), and slightly considered patients to be self-destructive (M: 1.97). In addition, the study showed that general and physical fatigue, night shift-work, and increased working hours in the public sector were predictors for doctors finding their patient irritating. Similarly, increased working hours by clinicians in the public sector was a predictor for having less compliance in their relationships with patients.

The present investigation suggests that insomnia has an indirect association with negative categories of the doctor-patient relationship.