Physician burnout rate drops, but it’s still ‘unacceptably high’

At a time when more attention is focused on the mental health of clinicians, it’s undeniably good news that fewer physicians say they are battling burnout.

Dr. Steven Furr, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, says burnout remains a serious problem for physicians.

The percentage of doctors reporting at least one symptom of burnout dropped to 48.2% in 2023, down from 53% in 2022, according to survey data released by the American Medical Association earlier this month. It’s the first time in four years that fewer than half of America’s doctors cited problems with burnout.

In 2021, nearly two-thirds of America’s doctors (62.8%) said they were struggling with burnout, a record high, per AMA data.

So there are encouraging signs of progress as hospitals and other providers face pressure to protect the health and wellness of doctors.

Still, nearly half of all doctors acknowledge one or more symptoms of burnout. Dr. Steven Furr, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, says burnout remains a serious problem for physicians.

In a statement sent to Chief Healthcare Executive®, Furr said, “While this survey shares news that physician burnout rates have decreased, it is still at an unacceptably high level and we know that administrative requirements like prior authorizations are still stealing clinical time and contributing to burnout. We also know that burnout is worsening physician shortages by driving physicians away from the workforce.”

Nancy Nankivil, the AMA’s director of organizational well-being at the AMA, said in a news release that the burnout rate “is moving in the right direction.”

“It is critical for executive leaders to maintain a commitment to organizational well-being,” Nankivil said.

The AMA surveyed more than 12,400 responses from doctors working at 81 health systems and organizations.

Just over half of doctors (50.7%) said they felt a lot of stress at work in 2023, down from 55.6% last year. More doctors (50.4%) said they felt valued by their employers in 2023, up from 46.3% in 2022.

The latter number could be a reassuring indicator for hospital executives. Physicians, and nurses, for that matter, have been urging hospitals and providers to pay attention to the mental health of their workers. They’ve also urged employers to focus on addressing the workplace, rather than strategies to improve the resilience of staff.

During an AMA webinar on burnout in 2023, then-AMA president Jack Resneck Jr., MD, said, “We need to fix what’s broken and it’s not the doctor.”

Doctors have repeatedly cited the high level of administrative burdens, including documentation, as their top source of burnout and stress, even more than the pressure of caring for patients with serious illness.

Physicians regularly point to the hassles involved in securing approval from insurers for treatment or medication, the process known as prior authorization. Most doctors say prior authorization causes delays in care and causes some patients to give up on treatment because they assume it won’t be approved.

Furr pointed to the need for Congress to approve legislation to streamline the prior authorization process.

“Without reform, physician practices are being forced to hire dedicated staff to handle prior authorizations instead of investing in staff or tools that would enhance patient care,” Furr said.

Other surveys of doctors point to high levels of burnout. The Physicians Foundation’s 2023 Survey of America’s Current and Future Physicians found that six in 10 doctors reported feelings of burnout.

Gary Price, president of The Physicians Foundation, told Chief Healthcare Executive® last fall that burnout remains a serious problem, even after the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The changes that need to be made in our organizations and systems are just as urgent as they were before the pandemic,” Price said.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has teamed with the Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation to produce a new guide for hospitals to improve the wellness of the workforce.

Dr. Stefanie Simmons, chief medical officer of the Lorna Breen Heroes' Foundation, told Chief Healthcare Executive® in a recent interview that hospitals must think comprehensively about the wellness of staff.

Health systems must go to “the source of the bleeding, the drivers of burnout, the administrative burden, the leadership focus, and the causes, the barriers to receiving mental healthcare," Simmons said.

Getting help

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Dial or text 988 to connect with someone. Help is available 24/7.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention offers resources for healthcare professionals.

NAMI: The National Alliance for Mental Illness offers “frontline wellness” resources for healthcare workers and public safety employees.