Over the years, GPs have played a key role in healthcare, working in a variety of settings — from offices, to hospitals, to local communities.¹ Such an organization of work was conducive to building relationships between clinicians. By exchanging insights in the corridors and talking about everyday affairs during breaks, they formed deep bonds and a harmonious community. Today, medicine is more divided into specializations, and practices are becoming larger and more formalized.¹ This leads to a weakening of professional relationships, causing an increase in the sense of isolation among doctors.

It may seem surprising that medicine is a profession conducive to loneliness. After all, doctors spend many hours a day among patients and colleagues. However, a 2018 Athenahealth survey of 1,400 doctors revealed a worrying trend — 25% of respondents admitted that despite constant contact with people, they experience feelings of loneliness at least once a week.³

Once complicated procedures, such as removal of the gallbladder or excision of the appendix, are today standard procedures performed on an outpatient basis.³ At the same time, despite the increase in the efficiency of care, these innovations have negatively affected the ability to create bonds between doctors.³ In addition, the health system lacks support that would not only relieve doctors of excessive administrative responsibilities, but also provide patients with more comprehensive and holistic care.

Why is teamwork so important in the medical profession?

The profession of a doctor comes with a lot of responsibility and stress, which is why a sense of community is crucial. Collaboration within medical teams brings many benefits. First, it gives doctors a sense of confidence in the decisions made.² Substantive exchange of insights improves the quality of medical services. In addition, it is a source of emotional support that counteracts the feeling of professional loneliness - a phenomenon so common in modern medicine.² As a result, the team of doctors not only strengthens their knowledge, but also builds relationships based on mutual support and trust.

How can you build a cohesive team?

The formation of the assembly should take place on two planes. First of all, cooperation between doctors of different specialties is crucial. Secondly, it is essential to create a team consisting not only of specialists, but also of peri-medical personnel. The doctor, although he is the central figure in diagnosing and planning treatment, does not always have time to thoroughly discuss with the patient all aspects of therapy or to answer all questions. For this reason, an increasingly popular approach is the formation of therapeutic teams that are jointly responsible for the care of the patient.

1. A team of specialists

In the treatment of chronic conditions such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis (MS) or obesity, patient care requires the collaboration of many specialists. The doctor should not be the sole therapeutic pillar, but a key part of a larger team. The Polish Society for the Treatment of Obesity (PTLO) in its recommendations on obesity broadly describes specialists who should work closely together so that the patient's care and treatment is effective.⁵ On the example of this disease, these are:

• The attending physician- responsible for the diagnosis, determination of the type and goals of treatment and control of the entire team in therapy,
• Physiotherapist especially important for patients with obesity treated surgically, as part of the preparatory program for the procedure to improve the body's performance, and rehabilitation after surgery,⁵
• Dietitian — most relevant in cases where adequate nutrition plays a key role. A nutritionist can create an individual nutrition plan tailored to the needs of the patient, taking into account his illness and lifestyle,⁵‍
• psychologist or psychotherapist An interview with a patient with obesity should include a mental health assessment, as the disease often co-occurs with depression. It is important to diagnose mood disorders and eating habits, as well as to take into account the psychosocial factors of obesity, stress and patient motivation.

2. Therapeutic team

In such a syndrome, in addition to the doctor, there may be, among others:

• medical assistants — support of the doctor in daily duties, such as keeping records and coordinating diagnostic tests,⁴‍‍
• ‍health educators — those responsible for educating patients about their disease. For example, a patient with diabetes can be taught to monitor glucose levels. A patient who understands his illness is more likely to follow medical recommendations and avoid complications,
• ‍specialist nurses Nurses with specialized knowledge and skills can monitor the patient's health, perform routine examinations and perform preliminary analysis of the results, as well as provide support in daily functioning.

Vision of a better future

Teamwork in health care is not only a relief for the doctor, but above all a sense of:

• communities — building relationships and professional ties,
• cooperation — effective action in the group for the benefit of the patient,
• substantive support — opportunity for consultation and exchange of experience.

A patient leaving the doctor's office should not feel lonely. He should know that in addition to the attending physician, he has the support of other specialists in the daily struggle with the disease. The implementation of such teams, although it requires organizational changes, is an investment that brings benefits - both in the form of better health outcomes for patients and greater comfort of work of medical personnel.

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1. Frey J. J., 3rd (2018). Professional Loneliness and the Loss of the Doctors' Dining Room. Annals of family medicine, 16(5), 461–463. https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.2284
2. Pelc K., (2022), Dwugłos w sprawie samotności, https://www.mp.pl/medycynarodzinna/na-marginesie/wywiady/309814,dwuglos-w-sprawie-samotnosci
3. Pearl R., (2019), Physician Burnout: Isolation, Loneliness And The Loss Of The American Hospital, https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertpearl/2019/08/12/physician-burnout-isolation/?sh=6b5d908858a0
4. Lightening The Load Of Loneliness In Medicine, https://www.chenmed.com/blog/lightening-load-loneliness-medicine
5. Ostrowska, L., Bogdański, P., & Mamcarz, A. (2021). Otyłość i jej powikłania. Praktyczne zalecenia diagnostyczne i terapeutyczne (1st ed.). PZWL.