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.

Supporting and improving clinician well-being has long been a safety focus and received renewed focus during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study sought to understand efforts undertaken to support clinicians’ well-being in Joint Commission-accredited hospitals and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC). Only half of responding hospitals and FQHCs reported implementing at least one action towards improving clinician well-being (e.g., establishing a wellness committee) and few had implemented a comprehensive approach.

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

… or discrimination was associated with burnout . … Dyrbye LN, West CP, Sinsky CA, et al. Physicians' experiences with …

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.

… effect on wellbeing of health care professionals. Among a sample of US physicians, the authors of this study found … specialty, and hours worked per week. … Harry E, Sinsky C, Dyrbye LN, et al. Physician task load and the risk of burnout among US physicians in a national survey. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf. 2020. Epub …

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.

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.

… BMJ Qual Saf … BMJ Qual Saf … Burnout is a highly prevalent patient safety issue. This survey study … work–life balance and burnout. Researchers validated a novel survey measure for work–life balance by asking … the work setting: individuals with different roles within a given setting (such as the intensive care unit, the …

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.

… 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 …

… … JAMA Intern Med … Burnout among physicians and nurses is a patient safety concern . This commentary suggests a model to track and communicate the financial burden …

… BMJ quality & safety … BMJ Qual Saf … This study introduces a novel survey scale that measures behaviors such as taking … to characterize the climate for work–life balance. In a previous PSNet interview , the lead author, J. Bryan …

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.

… 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 …

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.

… United States. In this survey of physicians working within a large health care organization, burnout was inversely …