Study: Physician Burnout Has Reached Distressing Levels, New Research Finds - Work Well NW

Study Overview

Ten years of data from a nationwide survey of physicians confirm another trend that’s worsened through the pandemic: Burnout rates among doctors in the United States, which were already high a decade ago, have risen to alarming levels.

Conclusion

A dramatic increase in burnout and decreased satisfaction with WLI occurred in US physicians between 2020 and 2021. Differences in mean depression scores were modest, suggesting that the increase in physician distress was overwhelmingly work-related. Given the association of physician burnout with quality of care, turnover, and reductions in work effort, these findings have profound implications for the US healthcare system.

Sources

• New York Times: Physician Burnout Has Reached Distressing Levels, New Research Finds

• Mayo Clinic: Changes in Burnout and Satisfaction With Work-Life Integration in Physicians During the First 2 Years of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Image by David Mark from Pixabay