In the Archives of Internal Medicine, it was reported that burnout is more common among physicians than other US workers and that physicians at the frontline of care access seem to be at greatest risk.1
Physician burnout by the Merriam –Webster dictionary is “the exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration.” It is driven by time pressure, rising patient complexity, sheer information overload, fatigue, sleep deprivation, working in unsupported environments and lack of effect stress management skills.
Due to the culture of silence and stigma associated with appearing weak or incapable of their jobs, physician burnout symptoms are often masked. The gradual onset of burnout is important to understand because it presents multiple opportunities for recognition and intervention in the earliest stages.
Evolving research shows that burnout affects individual physicians, patients, and even entire health care systems in the form of medication errors, poor patient outcomes, and low patient satisfaction and compliance.2
References:
1. Shanafelt TD, Boone S, Tan L, Dyrbye LN, Sotile W, Satele D, West CP, Sloan J, Oreskovich MR. Burnout and satisfaction with work-life balance among US physicians relative to the general US population. Arch. Intern. Med. 172(18):1377-85 8 Oct, 2012
2. Wallace JE, Lemaire JB, Ghali WA. Physician wellness: a missing quality indicator. Lancet 374(9702):1714-21 Nov, 2009