Heart rate variability differs between doctors’ stress and recovery periods
A review of continuous monitoring studies found differences in several heart rate variability measures, but the evidence was only moderate in quality at best.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Continuous heart rate variability monitoring may help describe how doctors’ physiological signals change between stress and recovery. Several measures differed significantly in the pooled analyses. This supports further study of monitoring as a way to track patterns, but it does not establish that the measurements diagnose burnout or improve doctors’ wellbeing.
Study quality was moderate at best, and every study used a different measurement device. Abstract-only access leaves the definitions of stress and recovery, and their consistency across studies, unclear.
What researchers found
HRV parameters with statistically significant differences
Stress versus recovery periods; eligible studies assessed HRV alongside contextual or psychological information over 24 hours. These are physiological measures, not burnout outcomes.
What the review measured
The review examined heart rate variability, a noninvasive indicator of nervous system activity. Eligible studies also needed contextual or psychological assessments, so the question concerned physiological patterns alongside information about doctors’ experiences.
What the results establish
The abstract reports significant differences for several measures, but it does not identify the remaining measure or report its result. The authors describe monitoring as potentially useful for tracking patterns that may contribute to burnout.
The original publication
Continuous heart rate variability monitoring, stress and recovery in doctors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Kane L, Powell D, Martin KR et al.
Occup Med (Lond) · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 41157926
- Record checked
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