Strategies for reversing and eliminating physician burnout

Abstract

Researchers have been paying attention to the correlation between physician burnout and patient safety and quality for more than a decade. That same research verifies a correlation between the lack of emphasis on physician wellness and the increase in physician burnout, compassion fatigue and suicide. According to Tait Shanafelt, M.D., director of Mayo Clinic’s Programme on Physician Well-being, and John Noseworthy, M.D., president and CEO, Mayo Clinic, more than half of US physicians are experiencing symptoms of burnout, and the rate is increasing. Against the backdrop of the rise in physician suicides, this paper will focus on creating a conceptual understanding of burnout, while highlighting strategies to increase physician wellbeing and mitigate the impact of burnout on patient outcomes. A collaborative, systematic, programmatic effort of healthcare leaders across the country is essential to make a significant contribution to improving physician wellness and impacting the improvement in the delivery of patient care.