Physician Burnout: Are Too Many Patients Making Doctors Sick?

It’s common knowledge that doctors work long hours. From late nights studying in medical school to the 28-hour shifts many young doctors experience during residency, physicians are conditioned to push their bodies and minds to the extreme in pursuit of a noble goal – making patients better. What if, however, those very patients are adversely affecting their doctor’s well-being?

The U.S. is facing what has been called a severe and growing epidemic of physician burnout, with nearly half of all clinicians reporting feelings of exhaustion, depression, depersonalization and failure. The epidemic threatens to affect not only the health of physicians but that of patients as well, since tired and overworked doctors are inherently less engaged and more prone to mistakes. In fact, a recent Stanford study found that burnout influences quality of care, patient safety and patient satisfaction – and that medical errors double among physicians suffering from the syndrome. With over 1.1 million physicians in the U.S. and a rapidly growing pool of patients, physician burnout is everyone’s issue. 

How did we get here and what can be done to reduce the burden placed on physicians?  

The full Forbes article can be viewed at this link.