Almost 87% of physicians’ spouses or partners said that they were satisfied with their relationships, according to a survey of 891 individuals.
More than 55% of the spouses and partners of physicians who responded said that they were "extremely satisfied" with their relationships and more than 31% said they were "somewhat satisfied," reported Dr. Tait D. Shanafelt of the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., and his associates.
Almost 81% of the respondents said that, knowing what they know now, they would choose a physician spouse or partner again, the investigators noted (Mayo Clin. Proc. 2013;88:216-25).
Approximately 73% of the respondents were women, but the men who responded were more likely to be employed outside the home: 73% vs. 51% of female spouses/partners. About 10% of respondents who worked outside the home were physicians themselves, and almost 31% were nonphysician health care professionals, Dr. Shanafelt and his associates said.
The survey, conducted from Aug. 17 to Sept. 11, 2011, involved a national sample of physicians from all specialties taken from the American Medical Association’s Physician Masterfile. The study was funded by the AMA and the Mayo Clinic’s Program on Physician Well-Being.
