According to a 2013 Medscape survey, more than 40% of U.S. physicians reported experiencing at least one symptom of burnout (loss of enthusiasm for work, feelings of cynicism, and a low sense of personal accomplishment). A 2012 study in JAMA Internal Medicine found that more than one-third of physicians were burned out. These startling figures support the American Academy of Family Physicians 2014 Practice Profile report which indicates that family physicians spend 1.8 hours per week on prior authorization of insurance coverage, 7.7 hours per week on non face-to-face patient care issues, and 3.8 hours per week on other non-patient care tasks.
Need Help Now?
Crisis Intervention: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: call 800.273.8255 or text 4HOPE to 741741.
Confidential Resource for Physicians: The Ohio Physicians Health Program (OPHP) offers services and resources to health care professionals affected by mental, emotional, and behavioral illness. To get help or learn more, visit the OPHP website or call 614.841.9690.
Other reasons for this crisis include administrative burden, difficulty finding work-life balance, feeling undervalued, frustrations with referral networks, government regulations, and (of course) reimbursement issues. These frustrations are shared across different types of family medicine practices.
The following resources are provided to help you reduce burnout and increase your resiliency.
Videos
Articles
- 7 Factors for Tracking EHR Use That Can Address Clinician Burnout (EHR Intelligence, February 12, 2020)
- Metrics for Assessing Physician Activity Using Electronic Health Record Log Data (Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, February 6, 2020)
- It’s Not Only OK to Be Vulnerable, It’s Necessary (Leader Voices Blog, February 5, 2020)
- My Rx is Simple: Do Less (Fresh Perspectives, November 13, 2019)
- Bouncing Back From Burnout in Residency (Leader Voices Blog, August 20, 2019)
- Resiliency Program Reduces Burnout Symptoms in Family Medicine Residents (AAFP News, August 1, 2019)
- Employers Must Play Active Role in Burnout Prevention (Fresh Perspectives, August 14, 2018)
- Rural Locums Provide Balance for Urban Doc (Fresh Perspectives, August 6, 2018)
- In Face of Broken Health Care System, I Choose Happiness (Fresh Perspectives, April 23, 2018)
- Burnout Part 2: Adopting a Systems Approach to Prevention (Leader Voices, February 19, 207)
- New Year, New Chance to Get Fit (Fresh Perspectives, January 23, 2018)
- Physician Authors Offer Prescription for Self-Reflection (Fresh Perspectives, January 8, 2018)
- Crafting a Life That’s Right for Me, My Family and Patients (Fresh Perspectives, November 27, 2017)
- For This FP, Faith and Family Life Help Stave Off Burnout (AAFP News, August 16, 2017)
- I Bounced Back From Burnout by Setting Boundaries, Priorities (Fresh Perspectives, July 24, 2017)
- Support of Colleagues, Family, Friends is Key to Resiliency (Leader Voices, July 10, 2017)
- Help Students Cut Through the Bull: FPs Are in Demand (Leader Voices, March 13, 2017)
- Can a Sense of Gratitude Make You Happier? (Fresh Prespectives, December 20, 2016)
- Fighting Physician Burnout Together (The Ohio Family Physician, Winter 2016)
- Physicians, Wellness Should Begin With Us (Fresh Prespectives, September 1, 2016)
- Everyday Heroes: What We Do Today Saves Lives Tomorrow (Fresh Perspectives, August 22, 2016)
- Try PROBE Tool to Help Stave Off Burnout (Leader Voices, July 12, 2016)
- Reset Room Can Help Address Physician Burnout (DoctorsLounge, June 20, 2016)
- Can Mindfulness Meditation Deliver us from Burnout? (Leader Voices, May 18, 2016)
- Discovering a Brave New World of Medical Scribing (Fresh Perspectives, February 15, 2016)
- Beating Burnout: Get Involved, Call for Change (Leader Voices, January 13, 2015)
- Eight Ways to Lower Practice Stress and Get Home Sooner (Family Practice Management, 2015)
- Curbing Primary Care Burnout Epidemic: Address Physician, Staff Needs First, Say Researchers (AAFP News, December 3, 2014)
- From Triple to Quadruple Aim: Care of the Patient Requires Care of the Provider (Annals of Family Medicine, September 2014)
- Changing the Trajectory of Burnout in Medicine (AAFP Leader Voices, February 7, 2014)
- Physician Burnout (AAFP Position Paper, 2014)
- Physician Resilience and Burnout: Can You Make the Switch? (Family Practice Management, February 2013)
- In Search of Joy in Practice: A Report of 23 High-Functioning Primary Care Practices (Annals of Family Medicine, 2013)
- Putting ‘Life’ Back Into Your Professional Life (Family Practice Management, 1999)
Online Resources
- AWARE Well-Being Resources – A new suite of resources designed to promote well-being among residents, fellows, faculty members, and others in the graduate medical education (GME) community is now available on demand. This initial set of AWARE resources focuses on individual strategies for cognitive skill building, and includes a video workshop, podcasts (Spotify and RadioPublic), and the ACGME AWARE app (App Store and Google Play).
- Improving Physician Well-Being, Restoring Meaning in Medicine
American Academy of Family Physicians
- Physician Health First—An interactive web portal with a wealth of well-being resources for Academy members.
- Focus on Physician Well-Being—An AAFP News topic area presents ongoing coverage and other content that focuses on issues surrounding physician burnout, resilience, and well-being.
A practice-based initiative created to provide you with proven strategies that can improve practice efficiency and help you reach better patient experience, better population health, and lower overall costs with improved professional satisfaction.
- Improving Physician Resiliency
- Preventing Physician Burnout
- Physician Wellness: Preventing Resident and Fellow Burnout
Help Guide
Provides research-driven, impartial tools and information to help readers strengthen their mental and emotional health, improve their relationships, and take charge of their lives.
A non-profit organization which offers confidential assistance to physicians and other health care professionals who may be affected by mental, emotional and behavioral illness, substance-related and addictive disorders, or other issues impacting their health and well-being.
- Burnout Questionnaire—A confidential questionnaire to help you screen yourself for symptoms of burnout.
A coalition established in 2017 by Ohio’s major physician associations. Led by its Physician Advisory Council (PAC), the Coalition’s goal is to address physician burnout by providing physician wellness initiatives.
- Physician Wellness Series
A series of 6 videos focused on addressing physician burnout. Each video is approved for CME credit.
Provider Well-Being: Moving from Triple to Quadruple Aim in Clinical Training
A webinar recorded and presented by the Health Resources and Services Administration.
The Bounce Back Project
A community project created to improve health through happiness.
Offers a set of field-tested resources to help prevent physician burnout and build an ideal practice along the way.
The National Academy of Medicine’s Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience
A network of more than 50 organizations committed to reversing trends in clinician burnout. Goals for the Action Collaborative include: (1) Improve baseline understanding of challenges to clinician well-being; (2) Raise the visibility of clinician stress and burnout; and (3) Elevate evidence-based, multidisciplinary solutions that will improve patient care by caring for the caregiver.
Offers the best of both conventional and complementary medicine to promote optimal health, prevent and treat disease, and meet each patient’s unique physical, emotional and spiritual health goals.
- Mind-Body Skills Training for Resilience, Effectiveness, and Mindfulness (STREAM) Program— earn continuing medical education while you learn and practice skills that will help you personally and professionally to become more resilient in the face of stress, more clinically effective in helping patients, and more mindful in your daily life as you learn the latest scientific research about mind-body skills, engage in reflective practices, and use free online recordings of evidence-based mind-body practices.
- Mind-Body Recordings—calm your mind and relax your body with free downloadable resources including guided imagery, mindfulness, heart-centered practices, and relaxation response.