Moral distress among physicians in Norway: a longitudinal study

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Healthcare Management
• Physician Well-being

Background:

• Physicians experience moral distress when unable to provide ethically sound patient care.
• Understanding trends in physician moral distress is crucial for healthcare system evaluation and improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare reported moral distress among Norwegian physicians in 2004 and 2021.
• To identify factors, including gender, age, and workplace, associated with changes in moral distress.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal survey design using data from the Norwegian Physician Panel Study (2004 and 2021).
• A representative sample of Norwegian physicians (1499 in 2004, 2316 in 2021) completed the same survey instrument.
• Logistic regression analyses were employed to examine influencing factors.

Main Results:

• A significant increase in moral distress related to time constraints in patient care (68.3% in 2004 to 75.1% in 2021).
• Increased moral distress regarding unequal treatment based on patient assertiveness.
• Decreased moral distress concerning long waiting times, economic limitations, and age-based prioritization.

Conclusions:

• Physician moral distress linked to time scarcity and resource allocation remains high.
• While some aspects of moral distress have decreased, potentially indicating system improvements, this may also suggest physician moral fatigue or reduced expectations.