Burnout Rx: Healing the Healers

Authored By: Lexi Waite

Physician burnout is becoming a silent epidemic, threatening both the well-being of doctors and the quality of patient care, as rising stress and emotional exhaustion push many to their breaking point. Every day, physicians are tasked with caring for the health of other human beings—a responsibility that bears tremendous stress. Consequently, physicians around the globe are experiencing burnout. Understanding the systemwide factors leading to this burnout can help contribute to creating potential solutions that could assist in alleviating its effects. Being able to reduce physician burnout would not only be beneficial for physicians, but also increase the quality of care for patients as a whole.

Burnout is characterized as a “syndrome of exhaustion, cynicism, and decreased effectiveness at work” [1], and while this article focuses on physicians specifically, it is important to acknowledge that burnout occurs in all fields and aspects of life. Due to the ever-changing nature of society, physician burnout rates fluctuate. Recently, physician burnout rates have decreased to below 50%, a threshold that has remained surpassed since 2020 [2]. Still, in 2023, “48.2% of physicians reported experiencing at least one symptom of burnout” [2]. While this figure is trending downward, nearly half the physicians are experiencing some level of burnout. Additionally, burnout is more prevalent among certain specialties with emergency medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics ranked the highest with burnout rates 59% and above [3]. Conversely, orthopedics and plastic surgery have the smallest burnout rates, both below a still staggering number of 46% [3]. Despite the many personal reasons that may contribute to burnout, there are a number of systemic factors in the healthcare industry that can contribute to these high rates. 

It is crucial to understand the major causes that impact physician burnout across all specialties and fields. Feelings of ineffectiveness along with overexhaustion and workload tend to dominate the narrative when addressing physician burnout. While technology has made many advancements in society, many physicians report a “clerical burden” as some administrative tasks do not “contribute to meaning in physicians’ work activities” [4]. Not only does this contribute to feeling ineffective at work, but it also contributes to work overload, with 60% of physicians pointing to clerical tasks when discussing burnout [5]. This increase in electronic demand further contributes to ineffectiveness as “55% of physicians said their individual time with their patients has declined since they started practicing” [5]. Changes in physicians’ responsibilities and the structure of the healthcare system severely impact physicians workloads and their ability to feel effective within their role as a healthcare professional. By understanding the greater systemic factors behind physician burnout, a more targeted approach can be implemented to alleviate burnout’s effects.

As physician burnout is researched, new policies and procedures can be implemented to reduce its prevalence and mitigate the negative effects. The first step to creating a long-term solution is the acknowledgement of the severity of physician burnout within organizations [6]. By making this acknowledgement, more research can be conducted to understand which policies would make the greatest impact to combat this issue. Though more  research is needed, some studies have shown that to mitigate physician burnout, organizational training could be effective by targeting communication, mindfulness, and stress management [4].  Additionally, some policies have already begun changing to mitigate one aspect of physician burnout: excessive workload. In the United States, resident working hours have been decreased and further research indicates benefit could result from a decrease in trauma units [4]. Even as policies and procedures are implemented it is important for longitudinal research to assess the effectiveness of these solutions in decreasing the burnout symptoms of physicians. 

Though physician burnout has been decreasing, it is still a major issue that needs to be better addressed to mitigate its effects on the healthcare system. Burnout not only impacts the quality of patient care, but also the mental and physical health of physicians. Therefore, it is  important to understand the stressful conditions that physicians are subjected to and remember that they too, need to be cared for and protected. 

Works Cited

1. Shanafelt, T. D., Dyrbye, L.N., West, C.P. (2017, March 7). Addressing physician burnout. JAMA Network. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2603408.

2. Berg, S. (2024, July 2). Physician burnout rate drops below 50% for first time in 4 years. American Medical Association. https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/physician-health/physician-burnout-rate-drops-below-50-first-time-4-years.

3. Leibovitch, A. (2024, February 23). Physician burnout by specialty 2024: Navigating stress in the healthcare industry. The Intake. https://www.tebra.com/theintake/staffing-solutions/independent-practices/physician-burnout-by-specialty. 

4. West, C.P., Dyrbye, L.N., Shanafelt, T.D. (2018, March 5). Physician burnout: contributors, consequences, and solutions. Journal of Medicine. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/joim.12752. 

5. Wollman, B. (2023, July 29). Physician burnout: Consequences, causes, and solutions. The Intake. https://www.tebra.com/theintake/staffing-solutions/tips-and-trends/causes-of-physician-burnout-and-how-to-address-them. 

6. Lacy, B. E., Chan, J. L. (2018, March). Physician burnout: The hidden health care crisis. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1542356517307905.