What is Physician Burnout: Symptoms and Prevention

 

Physician burnout is a condition that affects physician workforce performance, quality of life, and the health of populations. Physicians who experience burnout have difficulties accepting their own illness, believe they are not able to endure much further work, and typically feel overwhelmed by duties. These physicians may also be less willing to provide care for underserved populations and more likely to prescribe medications with negative side effects.

Symptoms of Physician Burnout:

• Exhaustion

Physicians with burnout are less confident in their clinical judgment and have lower levels of satisfaction with their practices. They are less likely to be loyal to their organizations and may sometimes experience job-related physical and/or psychological stress. Although physicians who experience burnout sometimes make unwise decisions, such as failing to return phone calls or wait longer to perform procedures, such failures do not necessarily constitute malpractice.

• Depersonalization

Depersonalization is the feeling that one is an actor, rather than a real being. Doctors who experience burnout often loose "their jobs and sometimes their lives" because they lose their ability to fully experience the distress of others and become disconnected from their emotions. This can lead to inappropriate prescribing of drugs, lack of cooperation with federal and state regulations, and operational mistakes. Physicians with burnout are adversely affected by other forms of stress or distress that may be unrelated to work or health conditions.

• Lack of efficacy

Physicians who experience burnout may believe they are unable to help their patients. This can adversely affect the doctor's treatment of patients and cause healthcare organizations to spend more money on resources that do not directly benefit their patients, such as extra personnel.

Physician burnout is a growing problem in the United States. It occurs in both primary care and specialty care settings, although primary care physicians have been shown to have a higher prevalence of burnout than even some specialists such as surgeons.

How can we stop or prevent physician burnout?

Healthcare organizations can reduce physician burnout by being flexible in working hours and patient volume. Individual physicians can become less vulnerable to burnout by using stress reduction techniques such as exercise, meditation, or regular vacation time.

• Lower your stress levels
• Healthy practices help cut stress
• Monitor your mental health
• Help from others

There are many ways you can help to prevent or treat physician burnout. Physician burnout is a serious problem that affects the quality of patient care and healthcare organizations. Although it can be treated, physicians should have a plan in place for dealing with burnout. You can learn about the warning signs of burnout and treatment options on the ACP's website, including a toolkit for medical students.

• Improve your ability
• Try to work fewer shifts in a row
• Treat yourself to a fun activity
• Get help

If you are experiencing trouble coping with your job, take action. You can create an action plan for yourself, or seek help from others. Speak with your supervisor or faculty advisor, talk to a friend or loved one, or consider meeting with a counselor at the Student Health Center. 

You can also contact the organization that hired you to get professional advice on what steps you can take to better yourself and reduce your risk of burnout.

• Change your environment or perspective
• Get outside in the sunshine Reduce stress
• Take time off every week or month
• Work with a mentor or coach 

Some physicians find it difficult to work in a hospital, especially in emergency situations. Emergency medicine is particularly prone to burnout because of the stress involved, in addition to the stress found in all medical field jobs.