Mitigating error and encouraging teamwork is essential in complex surgical environments. In this study, researchers found that surgical caps labeled with names and roles fostered a climate of safety and inclusion among perioperative clinicians.

… least one action towards improving clinician well-being (e.g., establishing a wellness committee) and few had …

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased attention on clinician burnout and well-being. This survey of 2,440 US physicians identified an increase in burnout and decrease in satisfaction with work-life integration during the COVID-19 pandemic. Compared with earlier surveys (in 2011, 2014, 2017 and 2020), respondents reported higher mean emotional exhaustion scores, depersonalization scores, and burnout symptoms.

… Survey respondents reported experiencing mistreatment (e.g., racially or ethnically offensive remarks) and discrimination (e.g., patients or families refusing to allow the physician to …

Burnout may adversely affect physician wellness and consequently patient safety. This cross-sectional study of 1,354 physicians found that depression was associated with suicidal ideation, while burnout was associated with self-reported medical errors.  

Fatigue among health care workers can increase the risk of errors. This large cross-sectional study of attending and house staff physicians found that sleep-related impairment was associated with increased burnout, decreased professional fulfillment, and increased self-reported clinically significant medical error. Organizational policies should focus on reducing sleep-related impairment in order to reduce harm to patients and physicians.

… setting, specialty, and hours worked per week. … Harry E, Sinsky C, Dyrbye LN, et al. Physician task load and the …

This article summarizes key considerations to ensure that healthcare professionals are supported and equipped to provide care for patients and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors discuss sources of anxiety amongst healthcare professionals and how healthcare leadership can communicate and connect with their teams to mitigate concerns to the extent they are able.

This article describes the implementation of the Clinician-Directed Performance Improvement (CDPI) program, which was launched in September 2015 and provides clinicians with protected time, support and training to conduct performance improvement projects to improve patient outcomes. Examples of CDPI include projects that focused on reducing the rate of healthcare-associated infections and the rate of adverse drug events. Since program implementation, this community hospital has seen improvements in quality metrics, culture of safety and clinician morale.

Burnout may adversely affect patient safety as well as physician wellness. While health care organizations are increasingly focused on measuring burnout and implementing targeted interventions for improvement, the financial costs associated with physician burnout are not well described. In this study, researchers estimate that in the United States, $4.6 billion in costs are incurred from physician turnover and reduced work hours related to burnout on an annual basis. They estimate that the cost for organizations is about $7600 per physician each year. These findings suggest that physician burnout is associated with substantial economic burden. An Annual Perspective discussed burnout and its effect on patient safety.

Burnout is a highly prevalent patient safety issue. This survey study examined work–life balance and burnout. Researchers validated a novel survey measure for work–life balance by asking participants to report behaviors like skipping meals and working without breaks. Residents, fellows, and attending physicians reported the lowest work–life balance, and psychologists, nutritionists, and environmental services workers reported the highest work–life balance. Time of day and shift length also influenced work–life balance: day shift had better scores compared to night shift, and shorter shifts had better scores than longer shifts. The work–life balance score also clustered by the work setting: individuals with different roles within a given setting (such as the intensive care unit, the emergency department, or the clinical laboratory) had more similar work–life balance. Those with higher work–life balance reported better safety culture and less burnout. The authors suggest that burnout interventions target work settings rather than individuals, because work–life balance seems to function as a shared experience within health care settings.

Physician burnout threatens the well-being and sustainability of the health care workforce. This large prospective cohort study found that 45% of resident physicians experienced burnout. Higher burnout rates were detected in urology, general surgery, emergency medicine, and neurology residents (relative to internal medicine residents). The overall prevalence of burnout was similar to studies of practicing physicians, and significantly higher than studies of the general population. Although most residents were satisfied with their career choice, those who were burned out were more likely to regret their decision to become a physician. An Annual Perspective explored how burnout impacts patient safety.

Physician burnout is a highly prevalent patient safety concern. Researchers employed data from the American Medical Association to survey United States physicians about burnout and safety. Of 6586 respondents, 54% reported burnout symptoms, consistent with prior studies. More than 10% of respondents reported a major medical error in the prior 3 months, and these rates were even higher among physicians that had symptoms of burnout, even after adjustment for personal and practice factors. The majority of physicians graded their work unit safety as excellent or very good. The authors conclude interventions to improve safety must address both burnout and work unit safety. Because the survey response rate was less than 20%, it is unclear whether these findings reflect practicing US physicians more broadly. An Annual Perspective summarized the relationship between clinician burnout and patient safety.

Burnout among physicians and nurses is a patient safety concern. This commentary suggests a model to track and communicate the financial burden associated with physician burnout to gain organizational support for burnout reduction efforts.

Burnout among health care workers is common, and it can have negative impacts on patient safety. This commentary describes aspirational and practical strategies that leaders can utilize to address burnout at the organizational and individual levels.

Clinician burnout is increasingly recognized as a patient safety concern. This commentary summarizes the results of a consensus-building conference focused on physician burnout. The authors outline recommendations from the session to move the research base forward, including the need for collaboration to address the problem and examining the relationships between burnout, physician well-being, and care outcomes.

Burnout can diminish both patient safety and physician well-being. This commentary describes factors that contribute to physician burnout, such as increased workload related to implementation of electronic health records. The authors also highlight a new initiative to collaboratively examine the phenomenon to develop improvement strategies. A previous Annual Perspective discussed the relationship between burnout and patient safety and interventions to address burnout among clinicians.

Clinician burnout can affect the safety of teamwork and care delivery. This review suggests that focusing solely on individual behaviors is insufficient to reduce burnout in health care. The authors discuss how organizational strategies that encourage physician engagement can address burnout and its negative effects.

Burnout has reached epidemic proportions among physicians in the United States. In this survey of physicians working within a large health care organization, burnout was inversely correlated with perception of the leadership skills of physician supervisors. This finding implies that more effective leadership may mitigate burnout at the individual physician level.

Physician burnout can impact patient safety. Prior research has shown that burnout is associated with lower reported quality and safety. This survey study of physicians found that more than half reported one or more symptoms of burnout. In contrast to other adults in the United States, rates of burnout are increasing among physicians. This work adds to the growing calls for addressing the causes of physician burnout. An Annual Perspective discussed burnout among health care professions as it relates to patient safety.