ABSTRACT
Organizational change is required if academic health centers (AHCs) are to survive the decreased societal commitment to them. The changes will generate significant emotional responses in the physicians employed by such institutions. This article presents an analogy between the reactions of academic physicians to the changes they are experiencing, and the stages of grief that Dr. Kübler Ross described in terminally ill patients. By placing physician responses in this context, emotional responses to organizational changes can be more easily understood and managed, allowing academic physicians to devote more energy to facing the threats to AHCs in an innovative and constructive manner.
Subject(s)
Academic Medical Centers , Medical Staff, Hospital/psychology , Organizational Innovation , Academic Medical Centers/organization & administration , Academic Medical Centers/trends , Adaptation, Psychological , Anger , Denial, Psychological , Depression , Grief , Humans , Terminal Care/psychology , United States , WorkforceABSTRACT
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common, disabling disease in adults. Newly developed diagnostic measures are available to screen for and support the diagnosis. ADHD typically causes complaints of disturbances of attention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity, although a subgroup of patients have only problems with attention. The disorder may be subtle or it may be obscured by secondary problems; the boundaries of the syndrome often blur with those of other disease entities. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, effective pharmacologic treatments are available. Psychologic treatment serves an important adjunctive role for associated problems and concurrent psychologic disorders. Marked improvement in quality of life often occurs after diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
