… scores, and burnout symptoms. … Shanafelt TD, West CP, Dyrbye LN, et al. Changes in burnout and …

Burnout is characterized as emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and decreased sense of accomplishment at work which results in overwhelming negative emotions. Earlier studies have focused on the association of burnout with the electronic medical record and the COVID-19 pandemic, among others. This study focused on the association of physician burnout and mistreatment by patients, families and visitors. 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 provide treatment based on their gender, race, or ethnicity) in the past year. Experiencing mistreatment or discrimination was associated with burnout.

… effect on wellbeing of health care professionals. Among a sample of US physicians, the authors of this study found … task load and the risk of burnout among US physicians in a national survey. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf. 2020. Epub …

… pandemic. In March 2020, the health system established a new Employee, Faculty, and Trainee Crisis Support Task … robust psychosocial and mental health support options. … Ripp J, Peccoralo L, Charney D. Attending to the Emotional Well-Being of the Health Care Workforce in a New York City Health System During the COVID-19 Pandemic. …

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.

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.

… JAMA … JAMA … Clinician burnout is a growing concern with known patient safety implications. This commentary describes a charter for health care organizations to prioritize … includes elements known to contribute to safety, such as a positive work culture and leadership engagement . The …

… 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 …

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.

Professional burnout—cynicism and a loss of enthusiasm and sense of accomplishment at work—has been shown to be common among both physicians and nurses. This cross-sectional survey of more than 7000 physicians found that burnout among physicians is more common than in the general population, with emergency physicians and primary care physicians the most commonly afflicted. Burnout has been shown to be one of several emotional influences on patient safety; it has also been linked to medical errors and disruptive behavior.

… JAMA … JAMA … In this longitudinal survey of residents in a single internal medicine training program, residents who …

The investigators found that self-perceived medical errors were common among internal medicine physicians and were associated with decreased quality of life and increased burnout and depression.