BY STEVE BARRETT
CITING A SURV E Y that tracked an alarming 33 percent
increase in burnout among family practitioners from 2013
to 2015, Chesterfi eld, Missouri-based Enterprise Medical
Recruiting notes some frequent signs of burnout and urges
hospitals to take action for the sake of both patient care and
physician well-being.
Warning signs often include:
+ A drop in the physician's belief in his or her ability
+ Emotional exhaustion
+ Less engagement during encounters with patients
Enterprise Medica l Recruiting recommends severa l
approaches to addressing and alleviating physician stress
and the possibility of burnout. Hospitals should fi rst ensure
that the physician realizes he or she has the full support of
the organization. Once that is established, hospitals should
ask what they can do to help the physician.
One valuable strategy, according to the recruitment fi rm,
is mindful awareness classes. The classes teach a meditation
technique designed to help participants focus on the present.
UCLA, one of many universities that o• er such courses, says
classes at its Mindful Awareness Research Center reduce
stress and emotional reactivity and improve concentration. ■
IT'S SCARCELY A SECRE T THAT PHYSICIANS, LIKE MANY OTHER
PROFESSIONALS, ARE VULNER ABLE TO BURNOUT. ACCORDING TO ONE
RECENT STUDY, MORE THAN HALF OF U.S. PHYSICIANS DE AL WITH
THIS ISSUE, WHICH PROMPTS SOME TO RE TIRE E ARLY.
Addressing Physician Burnout
1 6
