Burnout is a manifestation of exhaustion brought about by always feeling overwhelmed. It is a product of extreme and never-ending mental, physical and emotional stress in relation to one's job. It usually happens when you are overloaded, depleted emotionally and not able to keep pace with life's endless demands. Much more among the physicians in the healthcare industry in the USA.

According to Medscape's 2021 Physician Burnout Report published last January 25, 2021, there were 42 percent of physicians reported feeling burned out last 2020. From August 30 to November 5, 2020, a total of 12, 339 physicians in more than 29 specialties were surveyed by Medscape for the report. And it garnered 5 findings: A. In 2020 before the pandemic started, 69% of physicians said that they were somewhat or very happy. B. Historically, female physicians reported higher rates of burnout than their male peers and this gap grew to 51% in 2020, compared to 36% of men. C. Among all specialties, critical care physicians had the highest burnout rate at 51%. D. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic began, 79% of physicians already had burnout. E. Physicians cited bureaucratic tasks (58%); spending too many hours at work (37%); and lack of response from leaders/colleagues (37%) as the 3 most common contributing factors to burnout.

Forty-four percent of physicians disclosed feeling at least 1 symptom of burnout, according to the Mayo Clinic study, which poses great risks to their health and effectiveness of their care delivery. In relation to this, exhaustion, depersonalization and lack of efficacy are the 3 main symptoms of burnout, as per the American Academy of Family Physicians. Burnout has also been associated with an increase in medical errors based on a study from the American Journal of Critical Care.

There are many factors that cause burnout among physicians, but here are 5 of the most common: completing too many administrative tasks, not having enough time with patients, working too many hours, keeping up with growing patient demand and worrying about online reputation.

It’s unlikely that physician burnout will be eliminated entirely, but it is possible to reduce it through addressing common causes strategically. Improve practice efficiency by delegating tasks to the appropriate people. Physicians may consider hiring a medical scribe to help and assist with EHR and other administrative tasks.

With My Virtual Scribe (MVS), they wouldn’t feel burnout because our medical scribes are 100% HIPAA compliant medical professionals who can assist them with their needs, be it medical scribing or back office tasks. And they can now focus on their job, which is giving the best care to their patients.

Reference:

https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-physician-relationships/5-stats-on-physician-burnout-in-2020.html

https://www.patientpop.com/blog/physician-burnout-causes/