Tired doctors prescribe fewer painkillers
Long night shifts may lower empathy levels leading to a dampened reaction to patients' pain, says study
![](https://www.ausdoc.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/patient_hospita_bed_night_iStock-1353357786-1.jpg)
Doctors on long night-shifts prescribe fewer painkillers than their daytime colleagues — and depleted empathy reserves appear to be the main culprit, a study suggests.
According to US and Israeli researchers sleep deprivation affects how doctors respond to a patient’s pain.