Pop culture often paints doctors as superheroes in white coats, but even when they’re saving lives, physicians are only human.
The Physicians Foundation surveyed more than 17,000 U.S. doctors in 2016 to assess the “state of their profession,” and the findings were grim. Of those who responded, 80 percent said they were overextended, 48 percent planned to cut back on hours, take a nonclinical job or retire, and 49 percent reported frequent or constant feelings of burnout.
“What we are facing today is really an epidemic,” said Dr. Mukta Panda, a professor and assistant dean at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine Chattanooga.
Physician burnout affects health care costs, quality, safety, patient satisfaction and access by reducing a workforce that’s already struggling to meet demand.
“Our patients and our community are big stakeholders in this,” Panda said.