Importance of Physician Wellness in Battling Burnout

Abstract

Recently, much attention has been given to physician well-being and wellness programs in order to decrease physician burnout. Burnout has been known to emerge during the early years of medical training and has been reported among a large proportion of medical students. Burnout not only affects the well-being of medical providers, but also the delivery of safe and high-quality patient care. The goal of this article is to review the literature and examine the evidence of various studies and physician wellness programs and their effects on physician well-being. Physician burnout is a pervasive problem and is a cause for concern. Burnout is characterized as emotional exhaustion, depersonalization (treating patients as objects), and low sense of accomplishment. Consequences of physician burnout are poor quality of care delivered to patients, decreased patient satisfaction, increased risk for medical errors, and lawsuits. Physician burnout may also negatively impact the individual’s health, interpersonal relationships with family, and loved ones, and can also lead to substance abuse and mental health challenges. About one-third to one-half of physicians experience burnout. Burnout can alter the physician-patient relationship and the quality of care physicians provide. The primary purpose of this report is to shift the focus from burnout to physician preventive health and wellness strategies.