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Reported burnout among family physicians was down slightly in 2023 from the previous year, but burnout lasted longer, based on data from this news organization’s annual survey of burnout and depression among physicians in the United States.
Overall, 70% of internists surveyed said they had felt burned out for at least 13 months, compared with 60% in the 2023 survey. Of these, 41% said they had experienced feelings of burnout out for more than 2 years.
Overall, 82% of both male and female family physicians who reported feeling burned out or depressed attributed their burnout or depression to job stress rather than stress in their personal lives.
Bureaucratic tasks such as charting and paperwork were cited by 73% of respondents as the greatest contributor to family physicians’ burnout, followed by too many hours at work (39%) and lack of respect from administrators, colleagues, or staff.
Notably, 45% responded with either a 4 or 5 on a 1-5 scale that their burnout was severe enough that they might consider leaving practice, and 73% of respondents said that burnout was taking a negative toll on their personal relationships, up from 67% in last year’s survey.
Depression also remains a problem for family physicians, but fewer than 20% reported seeking help for either depression or burnout (15% and 16%, respectively)
Among the 27% of respondents who reported clinical depression, 69% cited job burnout as a significant contributor.
The top three strategies cited by respondents to reduce burnout were more support staff, more flexible work schedules, and lighter patient loads.
Take Needs for Support Seriously
The findings reflect the need not only of increased administrative support, but also personal and emotional support to reduce burnout among family physicians, Susan K. Fidler, MD, associate director of the Family Medicine Residency Program at Jefferson Health, Abington, Pennsylvania, said in an interview.
“Family physicians are a critically important societal resource to support the health of communities,” she said.
“It takes at least 7 years to train a family physician, and we need to create a culture in medicine to keep these highly-trained specialists engaged in their work to continue to provide continuity of care to their communities,” said Dr. Fidler. “Losing a family physician to burnout directly impacts the care that community receives and further worsens someone’s ability to access care,” she said.
Dr. Fidler was not surprised by the impact of administrative work on a physicians’ experience of burnout. “Physicians are energized by taking care of patients, and it is hard to feel like you are helping people by wading through the paperwork and administrative burden associated with our healthcare system,” she said.
However, she was surprised by the higher burnout rate in female physicians compared with males (55% vs. 45%, respectively). “As the proportion of the family physician workforce becomes increasing female, it becomes critical to understand this difference and provide support to address their specific needs,” she said.
Dr. Fidler said she agreed with the reported top three measures that might reduce burnout among family physicians. “In order to take care of the complex needs of our patients, more support staff and more time with patients can increase satisfaction with the practice of medicine,” she added.
Currently, physicians are often choosing between staying on time in short appointment slots and taking the necessary time to address patients’ needs, said Dr. Fidler.
“Longer appointments and more support staff allow family physicians to use their excellent training to provide whole-person care,” she said.
Previous research has shown that helping family physicians identify the most meaningful aspects of their work can reduce burnout, Dr. Fidler said. “It is up to healthcare administrators to allow physicians the flexibility to find their meaning in work and to support the systems that allow physicians to practice efficiently and effectively,” she said.
The data come from Medscape’s annual report on Physician Burnout & Depression, which included 9226 practicing physicians in the United States across more than 29 specialties.
Dr. Fidler had no financial conflicts to disclose.
Reported burnout among family physicians was down slightly in 2023 from the previous year, but burnout lasted longer, based on data from this news organization’s annual survey of burnout and depression among physicians in the United States.
Overall, 70% of internists surveyed said they had felt burned out for at least 13 months, compared with 60% in the 2023 survey. Of these, 41% said they had experienced feelings of burnout out for more than 2 years.
Overall, 82% of both male and female family physicians who reported feeling burned out or depressed attributed their burnout or depression to job stress rather than stress in their personal lives.
Bureaucratic tasks such as charting and paperwork were cited by 73% of respondents as the greatest contributor to family physicians’ burnout, followed by too many hours at work (39%) and lack of respect from administrators, colleagues, or staff.
Notably, 45% responded with either a 4 or 5 on a 1-5 scale that their burnout was severe enough that they might consider leaving practice, and 73% of respondents said that burnout was taking a negative toll on their personal relationships, up from 67% in last year’s survey.
Depression also remains a problem for family physicians, but fewer than 20% reported seeking help for either depression or burnout (15% and 16%, respectively)
Among the 27% of respondents who reported clinical depression, 69% cited job burnout as a significant contributor.
The top three strategies cited by respondents to reduce burnout were more support staff, more flexible work schedules, and lighter patient loads.
Take Needs for Support Seriously
The findings reflect the need not only of increased administrative support, but also personal and emotional support to reduce burnout among family physicians, Susan K. Fidler, MD, associate director of the Family Medicine Residency Program at Jefferson Health, Abington, Pennsylvania, said in an interview.
“Family physicians are a critically important societal resource to support the health of communities,” she said.
“It takes at least 7 years to train a family physician, and we need to create a culture in medicine to keep these highly-trained specialists engaged in their work to continue to provide continuity of care to their communities,” said Dr. Fidler. “Losing a family physician to burnout directly impacts the care that community receives and further worsens someone’s ability to access care,” she said.
Dr. Fidler was not surprised by the impact of administrative work on a physicians’ experience of burnout. “Physicians are energized by taking care of patients, and it is hard to feel like you are helping people by wading through the paperwork and administrative burden associated with our healthcare system,” she said.
However, she was surprised by the higher burnout rate in female physicians compared with males (55% vs. 45%, respectively). “As the proportion of the family physician workforce becomes increasing female, it becomes critical to understand this difference and provide support to address their specific needs,” she said.
Dr. Fidler said she agreed with the reported top three measures that might reduce burnout among family physicians. “In order to take care of the complex needs of our patients, more support staff and more time with patients can increase satisfaction with the practice of medicine,” she added.
Currently, physicians are often choosing between staying on time in short appointment slots and taking the necessary time to address patients’ needs, said Dr. Fidler.
“Longer appointments and more support staff allow family physicians to use their excellent training to provide whole-person care,” she said.
Previous research has shown that helping family physicians identify the most meaningful aspects of their work can reduce burnout, Dr. Fidler said. “It is up to healthcare administrators to allow physicians the flexibility to find their meaning in work and to support the systems that allow physicians to practice efficiently and effectively,” she said.
The data come from Medscape’s annual report on Physician Burnout & Depression, which included 9226 practicing physicians in the United States across more than 29 specialties.
Dr. Fidler had no financial conflicts to disclose.
Reported burnout among family physicians was down slightly in 2023 from the previous year, but burnout lasted longer, based on data from this news organization’s annual survey of burnout and depression among physicians in the United States.
Overall, 70% of internists surveyed said they had felt burned out for at least 13 months, compared with 60% in the 2023 survey. Of these, 41% said they had experienced feelings of burnout out for more than 2 years.
Overall, 82% of both male and female family physicians who reported feeling burned out or depressed attributed their burnout or depression to job stress rather than stress in their personal lives.
Bureaucratic tasks such as charting and paperwork were cited by 73% of respondents as the greatest contributor to family physicians’ burnout, followed by too many hours at work (39%) and lack of respect from administrators, colleagues, or staff.
Notably, 45% responded with either a 4 or 5 on a 1-5 scale that their burnout was severe enough that they might consider leaving practice, and 73% of respondents said that burnout was taking a negative toll on their personal relationships, up from 67% in last year’s survey.
Depression also remains a problem for family physicians, but fewer than 20% reported seeking help for either depression or burnout (15% and 16%, respectively)
Among the 27% of respondents who reported clinical depression, 69% cited job burnout as a significant contributor.
The top three strategies cited by respondents to reduce burnout were more support staff, more flexible work schedules, and lighter patient loads.
Take Needs for Support Seriously
The findings reflect the need not only of increased administrative support, but also personal and emotional support to reduce burnout among family physicians, Susan K. Fidler, MD, associate director of the Family Medicine Residency Program at Jefferson Health, Abington, Pennsylvania, said in an interview.
“Family physicians are a critically important societal resource to support the health of communities,” she said.
“It takes at least 7 years to train a family physician, and we need to create a culture in medicine to keep these highly-trained specialists engaged in their work to continue to provide continuity of care to their communities,” said Dr. Fidler. “Losing a family physician to burnout directly impacts the care that community receives and further worsens someone’s ability to access care,” she said.
Dr. Fidler was not surprised by the impact of administrative work on a physicians’ experience of burnout. “Physicians are energized by taking care of patients, and it is hard to feel like you are helping people by wading through the paperwork and administrative burden associated with our healthcare system,” she said.
However, she was surprised by the higher burnout rate in female physicians compared with males (55% vs. 45%, respectively). “As the proportion of the family physician workforce becomes increasing female, it becomes critical to understand this difference and provide support to address their specific needs,” she said.
Dr. Fidler said she agreed with the reported top three measures that might reduce burnout among family physicians. “In order to take care of the complex needs of our patients, more support staff and more time with patients can increase satisfaction with the practice of medicine,” she added.
Currently, physicians are often choosing between staying on time in short appointment slots and taking the necessary time to address patients’ needs, said Dr. Fidler.
“Longer appointments and more support staff allow family physicians to use their excellent training to provide whole-person care,” she said.
Previous research has shown that helping family physicians identify the most meaningful aspects of their work can reduce burnout, Dr. Fidler said. “It is up to healthcare administrators to allow physicians the flexibility to find their meaning in work and to support the systems that allow physicians to practice efficiently and effectively,” she said.
The data come from Medscape’s annual report on Physician Burnout & Depression, which included 9226 practicing physicians in the United States across more than 29 specialties.
Dr. Fidler had no financial conflicts to disclose.