Physicians’ experiences with life-threatening illness and return to work

About this Study: This qualitative study found that physicians with life-threatening illness often experienced clashes in their professional and personal identities. This study’s results suggest that health care institutions should consider shifting from procedural to relationship-centered return-to-work policies and interactions during this critical time of transition to better support and retain physicians in the workforce.

Corresponding Author: Angela M. Ellison, MD, MSc, Department of Pediatrics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, HUB for Clinical Collaboration, 3500 Civic Center Blvd, 15th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (ellisona@chop.edu).

10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.32989

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