The burden and bureaucracy of modern medicine take a toll on U.S. physicians and appear to be major factors influencing physicians’ plans to reduce clinical work hours or leave the profession, according to new research by experts at the American Medical Association (AMA), Mayo Clinic, and Stanford University. The research study calls for a “comprehensive […]
The burden and bureaucracy of modern medicine take a toll on U.S. physicians and appear to be major factors influencing physicians’ plans to reduce clinical work hours or leave the profession, according to new research by experts at the American Medical Association (AMA), Mayo Clinic, and Stanford University.
The research study calls for a “comprehensive approach by national policymakers and health-care delivery institutions to address the challenge.”
Published in a new issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, the research shows that about one in five physicians intend to reduce their clinical work hours in the next year. Meanwhile, about one in 50 physicians plan to leave medicine for a different career in the next two years.
The research sheds light on a “troubling correlation” between the career plans of U.S. physicians and the growing problem of burnout, technology dissatisfaction, and administrative fatigue among physicians, the AMA said in a news release. Physicians who were burned out, dissatisfied with work-life integration, and dissatisfied with electronic health records (EHRs) were more likely to intend to reduce clinical work in the next 12 months. Burnout is the largest factor influencing physicians who expect to leave medicine in the next two years.
Attrition in the physician workforce results in “diminished access” to care for patients. If just 30 percent of physicians follow through on their intention to leave medicine in the next two years, the study estimates that 4,759 physicians would leave the workforce — a loss roughly equivalent to eliminating the graduating classes of 19 U.S. medical schools in each of the next two years.
“Our findings have profound implications for health care organizations,” the researchers noted. “Replacing physicians is costly to institutions with one recent analysis suggesting costs of $800,000 or more per physician. In addition, turnover is disruptive to patients, staff, and organizational culture, the release stated.
The AMA said it has made the prevention of burnout a “core priority.” It contends it is striving to help physicians cope with the “real challenges of providing quality patient care in today’s environment, arming them with relevant, cutting edge tools, information, and resources, and, in so doing, rekindle a joy in medicine.” ν
