Burnout rate among doctors falling but still ‘unacceptably high’

At a time when there is increasing attention being paid to the mental health of physicians, it is undoubtedly good news that fewer and fewer physicians are admitting to the problem of burnout.

The percentage of physicians reporting at least one symptom of burnout fell to 48.2% in 2023 from 53% in 2022, according to survey data released by the American Medical Association earlier this month. For the first time in four years, fewer than half of U.S. physicians reported experiencing burnout.

According to data from the AMA, in 2021, nearly two-thirds of American physicians (62.8%) admitted to struggling with burnout, a record high.

There are encouraging signs of progress as hospitals and other providers face pressure to protect the health and well-being of physicians.

Still, nearly half of physicians report experiencing one or more symptoms of burnout. Dr. Steven Furr, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, says burnout remains a serious problem for physicians.

In a statement sent to Chief Healthcare Executive®, Furr said, “While this study reveals that physician burnout rates have declined, they remain unacceptably high, and we know that administrative requirements like prior authorizations continue to steal clinical time and contribute to burnout. We also know that burnout exacerbates physician shortages by pushing physicians out of the workforce.”

Nancy Nankivil, AMA’s director of organizational well-being, said in a news release that the burnout rate is “moving in the right direction.”

“Executive leaders must be committed to the good of the organization,” Nankivil said.

The AMA analyzed responses from more than 12,400 physicians working in 81 health systems and organizations.

More than half of doctors (50.7%) said they felt a lot of stress at work in 2023, up from 55.6% last year. More doctors (50.4%) said they felt appreciated by their employers in 2023, up from 46.3% in 2022.

That last number could be a reassuring sign for hospital administrators. Doctors and nurses, for that matter, are urging hospitals and providers to pay attention to their employees’ mental health. They’re also urging employers to focus on the workplace, not strategies to improve staff resilience.

During the 2023 AMA Burnout Webinar, then-AMA President Dr. Jack Resneck Jr. said, “We have to fix what’s broken, and it’s not the physician’s fault.”

Physicians have repeatedly cited heavy administrative and documentation burdens as a major source of burnout and stress, even worse than the pressures associated with caring for patients with serious illnesses.

Doctors regularly cite challenges in getting insurers to approve treatments or medications, a process known as prior authorization. Most doctors say prior authorization causes delays in care and causes some patients to forgo treatment because they assume it won’t be approved.

Furr stressed the need for Congress to approve legislation to streamline the prior authorization process.

“Without reform, physician practices will be forced to hire dedicated staff to process prior authorizations rather than invest in staff or tools that would improve the quality of patient care,” Furr said.

Other studies of physicians point to high levels of burnout. The Physicians Foundation’s 2023 survey of current and future physicians in America found that six in 10 physicians reported feeling burnt out.

Gary Price, president of The Physicians Foundation, told Chief Healthcare Executive® last fall that burnout remains a serious problem, even after the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The changes that need to be made in our organizations and systems are as urgent now as they were before the pandemic,” Price said.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has partnered with the Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation to develop a new guide for hospitals to help improve employee well-being.

Dr. Stefanie Simmons, medical director of the Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, told Chief Healthcare Executive® in a recent interview that hospitals need to think holistically about the health of their staff.

Health systems need to address “the root of the bleeding, the burnout drivers, the administrative burden, the leadership focus and the root causes, the barriers to accessing mental health care,” Simmons said.

Getting help

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 to connect with someone. Help is available 24/7.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention provides resources for health care professionals.

NAMI: National Alliance for Mental Health offers “wellness on the frontlines” resources for healthcare and public safety workers.