Sleep, Scheduling, and Shared Responsibility for Physician Well-Being (Wellness Committee-Sponsored)

Physician well-being is often seen as an individual responsibility, but system-level changes in healthcare can more effectively promote long-term sustainability among clinicians while directly impacting patient safety and quality. This didactic session will present evidence supporting system change over individual responsibility to achieve lasting physician well-being. Emergency physician scheduling, as a system, offers an opportunity for evaluation and improvement. Drawing from other high-risk industries that rely on shift work—such as aviation, transportation, and energy—Fatigue Risk Management Systems (FRMS) have been implemented to share responsibility for fatigue management between employer and employee, improving long-term safety. The science of sleep and circadian rhythms will be explored, and models like FRMS will be discussed as critical considerations for emergency departments aiming to foster sustainability and mitigate fatigue-related incidents.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this session, participants should be able to:
  • State the limitations of the individual approach to physician well-being, and the benefits of systems-level approaches.
  • Discuss the basics of circadian rhythms and chronobiology and other aspects of sleep science.
  • Discuss FRMS and other models for rethinking emergency physician scheduling, using the principles of shared responsibility to address patient safety, physician well-being, and career longevity.

Presenters:

  • Emily L. Hirsh, MD
  • Katren R. Tyler, MD, MBBS
Authors

  • Emily Lynn Hirsh, MD

    University of South Carolina SOM Greenville/Prisma Health

    Dr. Hirsh is an Associate Professor in Emergency Medicine for the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville. She also works clinically for Prisma Health in Greenville, South Carolina, where she serves as the Director for Well-Being and Resiliency for the Department of Emergency Medicine. She holds a Clinical Associate Professor title to the Clemson University School of Health Research at Clemson University. Dr. Hirsh is passionate about creating a culture of sustainable practice for emergency physicians. She has particular interests in sleep and fatigue, scheduling, human factors, and how these can be considered to create sustainable and enjoyable work environments for physicians and other health care team members over many years. 
  • 2025 Tyler Katren

    Katren Tyler, MD

    Clinical Professor, Emergency Medicine

    University of California Davis

    Katren Tyler, MD, is a clinical professor of emergency medicine at the University of California Davis. Dr. Tyler also acts as the Medical Director of Physician Well-being, the Chair of Medical Staff Wellbeing, and the Vice Chair of Geriatric Emergency Medicine and Wellness in the Department of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis.

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