Physician burnout has been a growing problem in the healthcare industry for some time now. While the COVID-19 pandemic did exacerbate the issue, burnout among physicians had been growing even in the years before. The growing realization of this problem and the increased enthusiasm for finding solutions at a systemic level is encouraging, there is still more work that needs to be done. Rather than looking for any instant fixes, the focus needs to be on collective action to find and address the causes of this problem across every level of the healthcare industry. With 47% of physicians reporting they experienced burnout in 2022, action taken on this front needs to be swift and decisive.

Keep reading for 6 areas we need to work on to reduce physician burnout.

Research
Despite the fact that physician burnout has been a major problem facing the healthcare industry for many years at this point, we know alarmingly little about it. Research must be funded into understanding the full physical and mental consequences for physicians who experience it and what kind of damage it does to the healthcare ecosystem as a whole. Funding research into professional wellness programs and methodologies will also help mitigate the impact of burnout on individual physicians.

Positive work environments
It is important to acknowledge that individual physicians are not the only ones responsible for their own wellbeing; the healthcare organizations they are employed at also play a major role in maintaining wellbeing by fostering and promoting a positive work environment. A workplace that encourages values of ethical practices and mutual respect goes a long way to prevent burnout from happening in the first place.

Reducing administrative burdens
On average, physicians in America spend 24% of all working hours performing administrative tasks. Two thirds report that time spent on administration negatively affects their ability to provide high quality care, and those with higher percentages also reported higher levels of burnout and lower career satisfaction.

While administrative duties are an important part of running a healthcare practice, and in many cases are mandated by law, research clearly shows that we have placed far too much of the administrative burden on the shoulders of our physicians. Before introducing any laws that increase administrative tasks in healthcare, lawmakers and governing bodies must consult physicians and involve them at every step of the process. This will ensure that any increase in administrative responsibility brought about as a result of a new law is within the bounds of what physicians consider reasonable.

Positive learning environments
Burnout doesn’t simply start once a physician is fully trained and enters the healthcare workforce. It begins far sooner at medical colleges, educational institutions and during residency. These institutions and the instructors overseeing the training of the next generation of doctors also have a responsibility to create a positive learning environment where the trainees are pushed within reason and given ample time and resources to grow and develop.

Furthermore, physician training must also include education on how to manage one’s own wellbeing. Learning this early on will help physicians cope as they continue working and enter high stress environments. Educational institutions and healthcare organizations must work together to develop a curriculum that adequately prepares students for the rigors of being a medical professional.

Better support systems
It is far beyond time that we finally eliminated any lingering stigma still attached to mental and emotional healthcare. Though society as a whole is far more accepting in this regard than before, the stigma is unfortunately still alive and well in the healthcare industry.

Eliminating this stigma may not be easy, but it is absolutely necessary. Physicians should not feel ashamed for seeking care for any mental or emotional problems they are having. To encourage physicians to seek help when the need it, healthcare organizations should promote the creation of better support systems, where physicians know exactly who they can go to for help whenever the need it.