Physician burnout rates improve
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Physician burnout rates have dipped below 50% for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, according to survey data from the American Medical Association.
Why it matters: Physicians are leaving the workforce in droves after a tough four years in health care, exacerbating shortages in the health workforce and leaving gaps in patient care.
- Improving doctors' work experience and mental health is seen as key to reversing that trend.
What they found: About 48% of physicians surveyed by the AMA reported feeling burnout last year.
- That's down from 53% in 2022. The burnout rate has steadily fallen since reaching a high of 63% in 2021, the AMA found.
- Doctors also reported feeling more valued and less stressed at work compared with the 2022 data.
- AMA's results are based on survey responses from more than 12,400 physicians working at 81 organizations across 31 states.
Yes, but: "The shift marks a milestone in the ongoing battle against physician burnout, but the fight is far from over," an article on the AMA's website about the survey data reads.
Zoom out: Burnout among all types of health care workers was already a problem when the pandemic began. But since COVID-19, policymakers and industry groups have ramped up efforts to fix the problem.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a national plan last year to reduce burnout among health workers by making it easier for them to seek mental health help.
- Congress passed a law in 2022 to that has allowed more than $100 million in federal dollars to go to programs aimed at reducing burnout and improving well-being for health care workers. But the funding will dry up next year unless Congress reauthorizes the program.
- "We must rebuild our health care system by addressing the root causes that most impact health workers' well-being and mental health, including removing administrative burdens and changing institutional practices that prevent our caregivers from accessing mental health care, said Corey Feist, CEO and co-founder of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes' Foundation.
Between the lines: Physician burnout costs the country $4.6 billion annually due to turnover costs and lost clinical hours, a 2019 study found.
