Physician Burnout
Athletic trainers are tasked with looking after their athletes, but what happens when these trainers fail to look after themselves? Many are forced to work long hours, spending extended periods of time on their feet. The emotional and mental demands of athletic training can be damaging, not even accounting for external pressures these trainers may face. So, how do we combat the epidemic that is physician burnout?
Causes:
All healthcare professionals arguably experience the most stress. In fact, the Mayo Clinic found in a recent survey that physicians are more likely to experience stress and burnout than workers in almost any other field. They carry the emotional and physical well-being of their patients, holding their lives in the palms of their hands, leading to intense stress. The anxiety and unhappiness that is formed from this stress often later causes burnout. Yet, stress isn’t the only cause; work-life imbalance is also a significant factor. Physicians often struggle to find time to recharge their mental batteries due to the extreme imbalance between their home and work lives. Other contributing factors include:
Job Demands
Staff Shortages
Emotional Fatigue
Chaotic Environment
Time Pressure
Signs of Burnout:
Signs of burnout can vary from person to person, but the main indicators include:
Physical and Emotional Exhaustion: The physician feels constantly tired and struggles to see a clear path forward.
Depersonalization: The physician becomes numb and unavailable, struggling to feel empathy for themselves and the patient.
No Sense of Accomplishment: The physician feels there is “no use” in working anymore, with their job draining all meaning from their life.
Consequences of Physician Burnout:
The tireless work physicians do often goes unnoticed until they’re gone, for a kind and skillful trainer starkly contrasts their burnt-out counterpart. Burnout can lead to increased frustration and exasperation with patients, sometimes resulting in actions that are not in the patient’s best interest. It’s also linked with an increase in medical errors, quite detrimental to the patient’s safety. Additionally, physicians experiencing burnout are more likely to abuse substances, over consume alcohol, and commit suicide. With the issues surrounding burnout being extremely damaging to all those involved, taking the issue seriously is of the utmost importance.
Prevention and Intervention:
We need to support our healthcare professionals to ensure they maintain a strong sense of self. The first step is to lower the stress these physicians face in their daily lives. Implementing reasonable working hours or flex scheduling, hiring sufficient staff to prevent them from being spread thin, and allowing regular breaks can significantly reduce stress levels. This approach maximizes the ability of our professionals without overworking them, thus reducing the risk of burnout. Conducting staff surveys can help employers identify and address issues within their facilities, as well. Ultimately, de-stressing the workplace is crucial. By celebrating and empowering our trainers, physical therapists, and doctors within their workplace, we can achieve better outcomes for both patients and physicians.
Sources:
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2017, July). Physician Burnout. Ahrq.gov. https://www.ahrq.gov/prevention/clinician/ahrq-works/burnout/index.html
Drummond, D. (2015). Physician Burnout: Its Origin, Symptoms, and Five Main Causes. Family Practice Management, 22(5), 42–47. https://www.aafp.org/pubs/fpm/issues/2015/0900/p42.html
Shanafelt, T. D., West, C. P., Sinsky, C., Trockel, M., Tutty, M., Wang, H., Carlasare, L. E., & Dyrbye, L. N. (2022). Changes in Burnout and Satisfaction With Work-Life Integration in Physicians and the General US Working Population Between 2011 and 2020. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 97(3), 491–506. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2021.11.021
Wollman, B. (2023, July 29). 5 causes of physician burnout and how to address them. Www.tebra.com. https://www.tebra.com/theintake/staffing-solutions/tips-and-trends/causes-of-physician-burnout-and-how-to-address-them