Physicians, No need for Burnout

In the past year, there has been increased attention to stress on physicians that lead to burnout. In a recent article in the Journal of the American Association, several factors can immunize doctors against burnout.

Sara Berg
Senior News Writer
American Medical Association

Physician burnout is a multifactorial problem that is not easily solved. A systems approach is recommended to reduce physician burnout and foster professional well-being says a report from the National Academy of Medicine. But as system-level solutions continue to be developed, what helps some physicians avoid burnout?

Committed to making physician burnout a thing of the past, the AMA has studied and is currently addressing issues causing and fueling physician burnout—including time constraints, technology, and regulations—to better understand and reduce the challenges physicians face. By focusing on factors causing burnout at the system-level, the AMA assesses an organization’s well-being and offers guidance and targeted solutions to support physician well-being and satisfaction. 

Authors of the consensus study report published by the National Academy of Medicine, Taking Action Against Clinician Burnout: A Systems Approach to Professional Well-Being, call for immediate action from the health care system to combat physician burnout and improve professional well-being. The book can be bought or downloaded (free) by clicking on the above link.

Work system factors continue to contribute to physician burnout and professional well-being. But here are four individual factors that may help doctors prevent the development of burnout.

Physician burnout: 4 types of interventions and how they can help

Here are four steps to take when creating an effective physician well-being program in your organization or school.

Identify existing goals and processes. This first step is divided into two parts. In step A it is important for teams to identify existing goals and processes. “For us that was doing an environmental scan of the Canadian medical schools—what’s already been offered over there?” said Hastings-Truelove. “So, what does our starting point look like?”

And the second part of this step involves identifying target processes and goals. This is where experts compile their “wish list of what standard physician wellness would look like—where do we want to get to?” she said.

Look at system interaction. “We started thinking about the different levels involved in physician wellness, so the individual, the organization and the culture,” said Hastings-Truelove. “So, what are the interactions between these three levels?” Understanding that will help organizations figure out where to begin.

Discover transition interactions. Part of this is identifying the difficulty in making this change for an organization. “There’s lots of evidence that’s available,” she said. “Lots of people are doing different things with physician wellness, but it hasn’t really been compiled into one place.” With so many pilot programs, part of this is bringing together the wealth of evidence. While people and organizations are working on improving physician burnout through well-being initiatives, what works?

Survey the stakeholders. Hearing from experts in the field is an important step. For example, Hastings-Truelove’s team scheduled a workshop and invited key stakeholders to join them and contribute their voice to recommendations.

“Our target goal is to create a culture where each level reinforces the next. So, the individual has a responsibility to know what resources are available to make personal choices that contribute to wellness,” said Hastings-Truelove. “The organization has a responsibility to measure wellness and provide clear policies around support and accommodations that include flexibility.

Burnout’s mounting price tag: What it’s costing your organization

Physician burnout is costing the U.S. about $4.6 billion annually when you conservatively estimate the costs related to physician turnover and reduced clinical hours, according to a new study co-written by Christine Sinsky, MD, the AMA’s vice president of professional satisfaction.

How burnout in physicians compares to other professional degrees

Does whether you have a medical, doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) or Juris Doctor (JD) degree, play a role in your risk for professional burnout? It does. “Burnout among physicians is higher than burnout among other professionals who have also invested many additional years in their training,” said AMA Vice President of Professional Satisfaction Christine Sinsky, MD, a general internist and a co-author of the letter. “In fact, having higher levels of training protects against burnout in professions outside of medicine, whereas it does not in medicine,” she added.

“There is a shared responsibility among many organizations that impact physicians’ work lives to consider how decisions within their realm impact the do-ability of the work and the well-being of the physician workforce,” she added.

The burnout statistics are high enough that groups should consider a mandatory medical education program for their physicians, and perhaps a mandatory CME program for licensure in each state. This type, of course, may even impact the number of impaired physicians and decrease license probations and/or suspension.