Empathy: A critical ally in battling physician burnout

With almost half of doctors nationally experiencing burnout, one medical group turned to physician empathy training. Learn how empathy reduces burnout. 

At the Northeast’s largest nonprofit independent medical group, 48 percent of physicians reported burnout. That high rate of physician burnout—fed by the competing demands of contemporary medical practice—can make cultivating a healthy sense of empathy a struggle. That, in turn, can negatively affect professional satisfaction, which is why this medical group’s journey to reducing burnout began with physician empathy training.  

While physicians are commonly viewed as being empathetic, their behavior might come across differently to the patient in the room. The physician might seem rushed, distracted or trying to squeeze too much into one visit while simultaneously entering notes on the computer, said Steven Strongwater, MD, president and CEO of Atrius Health. The Boston-area medical group’s 1,300 clinicians deliver care to more than 720,000 patients. 

Committed to making physician burnout a thing of the past, the AMA has studied, and is currently addressing issues causing and fueling physician burnout—including time constraints, technology and regulations—to better understand the challenges physicians face. 

The full American Medical Association article can be viewed at this link.