Physician burnout can contribute to higher turnover rates, staffing shortages and malpractice or medical errors, in addition to its effects on the individual physician.
Here are four strategies to reduce physician burnout, according to an April 13 report from Definitive Healthcare:
- Allow for regular and consistent breaks to prevent depersonalization, fatigue and emotional exhaustion.
- Provide mentorship programs with veteran physicians that provide guidance and resources on best practices for seeking help from burnout and build professional development and relationships.
- Consider the role electronic health records and other technology plays in physician burnout and work with IT to ensure the interoperability of the systems and software so they're easier to use.
- Encourage leadership among physicians, as quality of leadership is linked to physician stress levels, burnout and satisfaction. Physicians can also use their leadership roles to advocate for changes in the workplace that would further address burnout.