Burnout Takes A Bigger Toll On Physicians, But Main Source Of It Remains Undetected

While two JAMA studies report an increase in stress and fatigue among residents and veteran doctors, especially in some specialties, an editorial says burnout is too loosely defined and that spending more time with patients vs. doing administrative work might turn attitudes around.

NPR: With Physician Burnout Increasing, Doctors Ask What Is It, Really?

Today, JAMA publishes two major studies on a hot topic: physician burnout. Burnout is a buzzword that's been in the news, but what is it? How does it affect doctors and their patients? It turns out, nobody really knows. The first study, a systematic review, summarizes the research to date on physician burnout. Study authors found that researchers do not use a consistent definition of burnout, and estimates of how common it is vary widely. The second study followed doctors-in-training over six years and tracked how they felt about their work. They found that women and doctors in certain high-stress specialties were more likely to experience symptoms of burnout, like emotional exhaustion and regret about career choice. (Gordon, 9/18)

Modern Healthcare: Physician Burnout Starts In Residency For Some

Efforts to address physician burnout may need to start as early as residency, a new JAMA study suggests. The results of one of two studies related on burnout published Tuesday in JAMA found 45% of second year residents surveyed reported having at least one symptom of the condition. (Johnson, 9/18)

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