Physician Burnout Rate Ebbs After Pandemic Peak, Study Finds
The burnout rate among physicians in the United States continues to moderate after skyrocketing to a record-high in 2021 during the pandemic, according to a newly published study in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
In the only study to regularly measure physician burnout rates between 2011 and 2023 during a span of substantial disruption in the healthcare delivery system, researchers from the AMA, Mayo Clinic, Stanford Medicine and University of Colorado School of Medicine found the overall prevalence of burnout among U.S. physicians was 45.2% in 2023 after peaking at 62.8% in 2021.
The lowest measured rate during the 12-year period was 38.2% in 2020. Prior to 2020, rates were 43.9% in 2017, 54.4% in 2014 and 45.5% in 2011. Each study consistently demonstrated that the overall prevalence of occupational burnout among U.S. physicians was higher relative to the U.S. workforce.
Despite improving rates, U.S. physicians remain at higher risk for burnout relative to other U.S. workers, and the American Medical Association (AMA) is urging continued focus on solutions and intervention to burnout’s key causes.
“The ebbing rate of physician burnout is a welcome result of the strides made since the COVID emergency to correct existing systematic flaws in healthcare that interfere with patient care and inflict a toll on physician well-being,” said AMA President Bruce A. Scott, M.D., in a statement. “Despite improvements, physician burnout levels remain much higher than other U.S. workers. Continued efforts are needed across the health system to drive policy change, burden relief, workflow enhancement and technology improvement that are essential to fighting the root causes of the physician burnout crisis.”
Scott continued that to reduce burnout, the AMA is focused on immediate threats to the physician workforce and healthcare access, including "fixing the broken Medicare payment system that punishes doctors, unburdening physicians from prior authorization and other administrative headaches, and making technology work for physicians. Our goal is a healthcare system that better supports physicians so we can take the best possible care of our patients.”
A recent report by the Peterson Health Technology Institute (PHTI) suggests that while ambient scribe technology is likely improving clinician burnout, the financial impact on health systems is unclear.
The report is based on extensive interviews and convenings with health system leaders, leading AI companies, and industry experts participating in PHTI’s AI Taskforce.
The Peterson report notes that physician adoption has been uneven. Often, there is one cohort of heavy users; another that uses ambient for some but not all visits; and another of low- or no-use clinicians, including those who tried and stopped.
Several organizations observed that the clinicians who saw the greatest benefit were those who had not yet optimized their documentation workflows, were consistently behind in notes, spent more time in conversation with their patients, or typically had longer summary notes, the report said.
