News and briefs: Physicians more burnt out than other US workers

A study published in last week’s Archives of Internal Medicine concluded that 46% of physicians experienced at least one symptom of burnout, such as emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and low personal accomplishment. The data places physicians in the highest tier of burnout compared to all other occupations in the United States, according to the study.

Researchers also observed burnout data for each specialty. Emergency medicine had the highest number of physicians who reporting experiencing a symptom of burnout, and dermatology came in with the lowest percentage of survey participants acknowledging at least one symptom of burnout.

Burnout can affect quality of care and patient safety, which are the top two priorities of any hospital. The relationship between physician well being/safety and burnout cannot be ignored. According to The Journal of the American Medical Association, 10% to 12% of physicians develop a substance abuse disorder during their career, which like burnout, is also higher than nonphysician groups. Whether burnout leads to substance abuse and other personal issues, or vice versa, the cycle continues if both of these issues are swept under the rug. Forming a physician health committee can help medical staffs deal with burnout and disruptive physician behaviors, says R. Dean White, DDS, MS, a healthcare consultant in Texas.