Is physician burnout an urban legend or a 911 call? August 2016

The statistics surrounding physician burnout are alarming. The rate of physician suicide is double that of the general population. Four hundred physicians committed suicide in 2015, according to American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Suicide is a consequence of burnout.

In a 2015 Medscape Physician Lifestyle Report survey of 20,000 physicians, 46 percent responded they were “burned out,” an increase of 16 percent from the 2013 Medscape survey. “Burnout” is a symptom of physicians’ deep dissatisfaction with the practice of medicine. It is an epidemic affecting the physician workforce.

Some alarming statics included in the Medscape Lifestyle Report:

· Burnout rates in primary care, emergency medicine, general surgery and critical care are above 50%

· Approximately 10% of physicians are thinking of leaving medicine prematurely

· Female physicians have a 60% higher burnout rate vs their male peers

· Younger physicians (35 and under) self-reported a 40% burnout rate

· Spirituality does not protect against burnout

· Burned out physicians took significantly less vacation time than non-burned out physicians

· Never married or physicians living alone have a higher burn out rate (57%) vs widows/widowers have the lowest burn out rates.

What is the root cause of burnout? Too many bureaucratic tasks rank at the top of physician dissatisfaction. Many physicians feel they have less quality time to spend with patients due to misaligned and burdensome regulatory programs. Spending too much time at work and insufficient income are also high ranking concerns. Primary care physicians are the least confident in their financial status.

What is the solution to reducing burnout? The AMA and many national societies are just beginning to research this relatively new epidemic and address prevention of a significant threat to a highly trained workforce. Most of the current resources focus on high risk physicians who are dealing with substance abuse, depression and anger management. These sort of programs are helpful to a very small subset of the nearly 50 percent of physicians dealing with some degree of burnout.

Several studies have demonstrated when physicians learn to set limits and prioritize work and personal life, their sense of wellbeing and productivity improve. Physicians need to educate themselves about self-care, cultivating sustainable work habits and building time for renewal in their work. Being able to control your schedule is an important stress reducer and improves career satisfaction. Redesigning a practice environment is key to improving workload and work efficiency issues.

A number of studies show the practice of mindfulness appears to be a helpful approach in reducing burnout. Mindfulness is described as “mental training that enables one to attend to the aspects of experience in a nonjudgmental, non-reactive way” (Annals of Family Medicine 2013, 11). Mindfulness can help physicians better navigate the stress of practice and several “wellness programs” are beginning to be offered by national societies and health care organizations.

Professional counseling is helpful but can complicate a physician’s application for hospital privileges, insurance plan participation and licensing for medical practice. Creating an environment where health care professionals can provide high quality and efficient patient care and derive professional satisfaction is important for our patients and ourselves.

Contributed by: Karen Swanson, MD, Chief Medical Officer, The Physician Alliance

This blog is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Please consult your doctor for more information or if you have a medical concern.