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A CRISIS IN HEALTH CARE: A CALL TO ACTION ON PHYSICIAN BURNOUT: Best Practices

A CRISIS IN HEALTH CARE: A CALL TO ACTION ON PHYSICIAN BURNOUT: Best Practices

January 17, 2019

A CRISIS IN HEALTH CARE: A CALL TO ACTION ON PHYSICIAN BURNOUT: Best Practices

Physician burnout is a public health crisis that urgently demands action by health care institutions, governing bodies, and regulatory authorities. If left unaddressed, the worsening crisis threatens to undermine the very provision of care, as well as eroding the mental health of physicians across the country. While an exhaustive list of solutions to this crisis is beyond the scope of this report, the recommendations presented here represent concrete opportunities to stem the tide of the crisis both in the short and medium terms, while setting the stage for long-term improvement in both physicians’ “joy in work” and health care more broadly — the “Quadruple Aim.”

Best Practices

  • Support- Support proactive mental health treatment and support for physicians experiencing burnout and related challenges. Improved access to appropriate mental health care will benefit all physicians and medical students.
  • Better standards- Improved EHR standards with strong focus on usability and open APIs. Given the widespread use of EHRs, improvements in their usability will have a broad impact on medical students and practicing physicians.
  • Chief Wellness Officers- Appoint executive-level chief wellness officers at every major health care organization. CWOs would play a particularly important role with respect to medical students, residents, and fellows, who are especially pressured in this stage of medical training.

The full report can be downloaded below.  

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