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Physician Stress and Burnout: What Can We Do?
In this article… A survey of more than 2,000 physicians finds that stress and burnout are on the rise, but there are some steps doctors can take to reduce the problems. There is a growing amount of literature attesting to the increasing amount of stress and burnout and its negative impact on physician lives and performance.1-14 It occurs more frequently than admitted, is frequently ignored or accepted as part of doing business, and there’s an overriding rationalization and resistance to seeking or accepting help. It’s a complex issue involving a variety of different factors including genetics, upbringing, and other life experiences later accentuated by the hardships of medical training and the realities of today’s medical environment. Something needs to be done, but are we doing it? A recent survey conducted by Physician Wellness Services in Minneapolis, MN, and Cejka Search of St. Louis, MO, provides additional insight into the problem.15 The survey was completed in October 2011. Responses were received from over 2,000 practicing physicians nationwide across multiple specialties. Nearly two-thirds of the physicians identified themselves as being more stressed or burned out compared to three years ago. • The three top external factors given as contributing to their stress included the overall economy (52 percent), health care reform (46 percent), and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) policies (41 percent).
• The top three work-related factors contributing to stress were paperwork and administrative demands (40 percent), too many hours of work (33 percent), and on-call schedules and expectations (26 percent).
The top three personal life-related factors contributing to stress or burnout included not enough time to relax (53 percent), not enough time to exercise or to participate in wellness activities (51 percent) and concerns about work-life balance (45 percent). • The top three work-related impacts of stress or burnout were lower job satisfaction (51 percent), desire to work fewer hours (41 percent) and desire to retire early (30 percent). Twenty eight percent expressed a desire to change careers, 22 percent a desire to switch jobs and 16 percent a desire to switch to a new practice • The top three personal life-related impacts of stress or burnout were feeling tired (41 percent), sleep problems (37 percent), and general feelings of irritability and moodiness (34 percent). When asked if they have ever left a practice due to stress or burnout, 14 percent said yes. When physicians were asked what they were doing to combat stress, the three top answers were trying to exercise (63 percent), trying to spend more time with family and friends (57 percent), and trying to take more vacation time (48 percent). When asked what they would like their organizations to do to help them address their stress and burnout, the top answers were to provide more ancillary support to help with administrative matters (63 percent), provide on-site exercise facilities and classes (39 percent), provide wellness initiatives (28 percent), provide workshops on stress/burnout management (24 percent), provide concierge services (20 percent), and provide coaching or mentoring resources (19 percent). When asked if their organization currently provided support for stress or burnout, only 16 percent said yes. For those organizations that did provide resources, the most common initiatives included wellness services (31 percent), workshops and education (29 percent), on-site exercise facilities (19 percent), an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), counseling or behavioral health services (15 percent) Overall these were rather disturbing results that indicate that little is being done to help physicians.
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