The alarming rates of physician burnout are beginning to decline, according to an exclusive survey from the AMA.
This progress came as the deadliest and most trying part of the COVID-19 public health emergency receded and many health systems stepped up efforts to improve physician well-being, but it is clear that the journey is far from over. The ongoing need to enhance the well-being of physicians remains critical, ensuring that those who dedicate their lives to caring for others get the support and resources they need and deserve. It is paramount to sustaining a robust and effective health care system.
As the leader in physician well-being, the AMA is reducing physician burnout by removing administrative burdens and providing real-world solutions to help doctors rediscover the Joy in Medicine™.
More than 12,400 responses from physicians across 31 states were received from 81 health systems and organizations who participated in the AMA Organizational Biopsy® last year. The AMA national physician comparison report—which is exclusive data to the AMA that is not published anywhere else—reflects 2023 trends in six key performance indicators—job satisfaction, job stress, burnout, intent to leave an organization, feeling valued by an organization and total hours spent per week on work-related activities (known as “time spend”).
The purpose of the aggregated data is to provide a national summary of organizational well-being and to serve as a comparison for other health care organizations. The results may be limited by the health systems that chose to participate.
Here is what health care organizations have learned about physician burnout from this exclusive AMA survey and what members of the AMA Health System Program—which provides enterprise solutions to equip leadership, physicians and care teams with resources to help drive the future of medicine—are doing to improve physicians’ well-being.
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Physician burnout rate drops below 50% for first time in 4 years
- After skyrocketing to a record-high 62.8% in 2021, exclusive survey data from the AMA shows doctor burnout has fallen below 50% for the first time since 2020. Continued efforts are essential to address the root causes of physician burnout and ensure that doctors receive the support they need to thrive. That requires attention to key performance indicators of physician well-being.
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Burnout falls, but still hits these 6 physician specialties most
- Picture a pediatrician whose days were once filled with the joy of helping children who is now struggling to find meaning in medicine. Imagine an emergency physician, the epitome of calm under pressure, feeling the weight of unrelenting stress. This is doctor burnout, and certain physician specialties have become particularly vulnerable to this pervasive problem, according to an exclusive survey from the AMA. Learn more about which six physician specialties have the most burnout, and the steps Texas Children’s Pediatrics is taking to improve well-being.
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How long physicians have been in practice can signal burnout risk
- As physicians advance through their careers in medicine, from the rigorous demands of residency to the relentless pressure of long-term practice, a pattern has emerged. The number of years a physician has been in practice may be a telling indicator of burnout risk, according to an exclusive survey from the AMA. Find out how Ochsner Health is taking steps to reduce physician burnout and improve job satisfaction among all years in practice.
Come back each week as this series grows and we explore physician burnout’s impact on gender, intent to leave or reduce hours, vacation, time spent in the EHR and barriers to teamwork.
One great way for health systems and organizations to tackle physician burnout is to take part in the AMA Joy in Medicine™ Health System Recognition Program, which is an initiative that offers a framework that provides a strategic pathway and a community of leaders to foster and accelerate well-being efforts.
Meanwhile, the AMA STEPS Forward® open-access toolkits offer innovative strategies that allow physicians and their staff to thrive in the new health care environment. These resources can help you prevent physician burnout, create the organizational foundation for joy in medicine and improve practice efficiency.
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