What really drives doctor burnout and how to fix it

Statistics on physician burnout remain a concern across the healthcare system, with 63% of physicians reporting experiencing at least some form of burnout during the peak of the Omicron wave in the winter of 2021-2022.

COVID-19 brought burnout to public attention, but the problems facing the medical profession existed long before the pandemic began. Because of this, it will take more than an end to the pandemic to improve conditions for physicians, according to Paul DeChant, MD, co-author of Prevent burnout in doctors: Healing the chaos and bringing joy back to medical practice.

dr In a recent episode of AMA Update, DeChant discussed some of the factors that have led to the rise in physician burnout and, more importantly, the steps that need to be taken to combat it. He will be the keynote speaker at the AMA co-sponsored 2022 International Conference on Physician Health. Join Now.

There are six factors identified by pioneering researcher Christina Maslach, PhD, that influence burnout. They are:

• work overload.
• lack of control.
• Insufficient rewards.
• collapse of the community.
• sense of injustice.
• contradicting values.

dr DeChant acknowledged that these factors are common across industries, but that the pandemic has made them felt strongly among physicians. More than ever, doctors want to connect with their patients, alleviate suffering and save lives, educate future doctors or work on innovative research. Unfortunately, they spend most of their time not doing those things, he said.

“The way this work is structured today, we only spend about a third of our time doing this meaningful work,” said Dr. dechant “Two-thirds of our time is spent on administrative tasks, like entering data into the EMR or waiting on the phone until we get pre-approval from an insurance clerk for the care we know our patients need.”

Reducing physician burnout is a critical component of the AMA recovery plan for America’s physicians.

Far too many American doctors suffer from burnout. That’s why the AMA is developing resources that prioritize wellbeing and highlight changes in workflow so physicians can focus on what matters most – patient care.

The first thing to understand is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

“Burnout is common in any healthcare system, and burnout triggers are also very common,” said Dr. dechant “But every healthcare system is unique, and so on [are] different systems where they need more advanced and actually redesigned workflows to help doctors have more time for meaningful work.”

Conducting surveys (PDF), understanding key safety metrics, knowing how the healthcare system is performing financially, and recognizing the patient experience can be valuable data points for leaders who want to understand what their healthcare system needs. More importantly, Dr. DeChant recommended that executives see for themselves where their doctors’ pain points lie to best understand the challenges the system is facing.

“Go tail doctors,” he said. “Follow them as they go about their work to witness and see this actual challenge. The other option is to sit down and talk to the people who are on the front lines. Interview them about their challenges. Develop a deeper understanding of the actual human impact on what’s happening in the real world, making it much easier than taking diagnostic data, interpreting it, and applying it to find a solution.”

AMA Update covers health topics that affect the lives of physicians and patients. Hear from physicians and experts on public health issues, advocacy, scope and more—because speaking matters. You can watch each episode by subscribing to the AMA’s YouTube channel or the audio-only podcast version, which also includes informative presentations and in-depth discussions.