Understanding physician burnout solutions
Contemporary medicine thrives on robust, repetitive empirical research and practical application of breakthroughs. Case in point: Pfizer’s and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines.
Experts hypothesized an mRNA vaccine, validated its potential in animal studies, and confirmed its safety and efficacy in human trials, making these vaccines crucial in combating the coronavirus.
ADVERTISEMENT With such methodologies, medicine's progress in the past century surpassed even our ancestors' wildest dreams. All this effort aimed to enhance patient care and treatment alternatives. But in addressing physician well-being and burnout, we've overlooked these scientific methods; change is overdue.
Physician burnout should be approached with identical scientific rigor.
We should determine: are physicians more prone to burnout than other professionals? Clearly, with a 49% burnout rate compared to the public's 28%. Next, understanding the cause — why is physician burnout so prevalent? Research provides insights.
Major factors encompass 1) excessive EHR usage, 2) overwhelming administrative responsibilities, 3) extended working hours, and 4) insufficient respect from patients.
In essence, we've identified the problem and its roots. As with any ailment, we'd then seek a remedy, formulating and evaluating treatments. Proven interventions for physician burnout encompass (1) integrating more medical scribes, (2) reducing residency hours, and (3) enhancing physician-patient direct interactions. Their practical application is suggested as follows:
Integrate more medical scribes in health facilities
While cost is a common scribe objection, especially post-pandemic, JAMA Dermatology research contradicts this. Namburdi et al. discovered 79% of doctors would manage more patients with scribe support, making scribes self-financing. Furthermore, revenue rose by 7.7% with more scribes. The American Medical Association also found scribes elevated doctor and patient satisfaction, reducing burnout.
Limit residency training hours
Residency's grueling hours are notably challenging. About 38% of 25-39-year-old doctors face burnout due to extended hours, increasing medical errors. Is the 80-100-hour weekly workload essential for physician training? A BMJ study indicates not necessarily. Some progress is noted with the 80-hour weekly cap, but surveys reveal many residents still surpass this, often unreported.
Reintroduce bedside rounds
Modern medicine often prioritizes data over patients. Dr. Abraham Varghese termed this the “I-patient” shift. Previously, doctors discussed cases during bedside rounds. Today, it's often in front of screens, away from patients. This shift may mislead patients about the care depth they receive. Maybe, reverting to old-school bedside rounds can enhance doctor-patient rapport.
So, why aren’t these solutions mainstream yet?
Drawing parallels with the coronavirus vaccine, the logical step post-trial is mass deployment. But physician burnout remedies lag. Implementation, especially nationally, is challenging.
Reflecting on vaccine distribution, obstacles are evident. Yet, medicine's foundation is resilience. We've cured the previously incurable, distributed medicine globally, and it's time to adopt these validated strategies to support our doctors.
