What Causes Physician Burnout, And How Can It Be Prevented?

Physician burnout is very real and a troubling problem for healthcare, with studies finding that at least 50 percent of U.S. physicians struggle with burnout. An increased workload and less time to see patients are big contributors, but clerical burden is playing an increasing role in professional dissatisfaction.

Most clinicians feel that the administrative tasks required of them don’t add value to patient care and are unrelated to the reasons they chose their professions. As mental health experts have noted, the disconnect between one’s calling and one’s daily work contributes to distress, and can lead to alienation, isolation, depersonalization, cynicism, emotional exhaustion and burnout.

The pressure is also felt by nurses, with concerns that they are spending more time entering information into electronic health records (EHRs). Indeed, aside from improving medication safety, where careful documentation is vital, nurses and other clinicians report dissatisfaction with the design and cumbersome processes of electronic documentation.

As a result, clinicians lack control over their workday, resulting in a loss of collegiality while working in isolation, as well as interference with the patient-clinician relationship as a computer screen creates a physical and psychological barrier between them. EHRs have spawned a new exercise for doctors known colloquially as “Pajama Time,” with mandated documentation being carried out after hours simply because clinicians don’t have time for it in their busy working day.