Barriers to healthcare access among surgical trainees in Australia: Implications for Well-being and Professional Health

Background: Healthcare professionals, especially doctors, often prioritize patient care over their own health, leading to inadequate self-care and delayed medical attention. This trend is particularly concerning for surgical trainees, who face unique challenges in accessing healthcare due to demanding schedules. A key aspect of maintaining overall well-being is the ability for medical professionals to access timely healthcare, including having their own General Practitioner (GP). This study aims to investigate the healthcare access issues faced by surgical and non-surgical trainees in a regional hospital in New South Wales (NSW).

Methods: An online survey was distributed to junior medical officers (JMOs) and registrars working at a regional hospital in NSW. The survey explored healthcare access patterns, including the ability to visit a GP, self-diagnosis, self-medication, and reliance on emergency departments (EDs) for care. A comparative analysis was conducted between surgical trainees and their non-surgical counterparts.

Results: Of the 100 surveyed respondents, 53.85% reported being unable to access their GP when needed, leading many to self-diagnose (67%) or seek care in the emergency department (23%). Notably, 61.54% of doctors indicated that their colleagues had requested prescriptions. Surgical trainees were disproportionately affected, with a higher percentage reporting barriers to healthcare access, primarily due to scheduling conflicts.

Conclusions: The study highlights significant barriers to healthcare access for medical professionals, particularly surgical trainees, who face additional challenges such as rigid schedules. Many doctors resort to self-diagnosis and self-medication, underscoring the need for improved healthcare access and better support systems. Acknowledging and addressing these healthcare access issues is essential for ensuring the well-being of medical professionals, which in turn, benefits patient care and safety.