Mega Doctor News
American Medical Association
CHICAGO — The occupational burnout rate among physicians in the United States continues to moderate after skyrocketing to a record-high in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a newly published study in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Despite improving rates, U.S. physicians remain at higher risk for burnout relative to other U.S. workers and the American Medical Association (AMA) today urged 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 health care that interfere with patient care and inflict a toll on physician well-being,” said AMA President Bruce A. Scott, M.D. “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.”
In the only study to regularly measure physician burnout rates between 2011 and 2023 during a span of substantial disruption in the health care delivery system, researchers from the AMA, Mayo Clinic, University of Colorado School of Medicine and Stanford 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 were higher relative to the U.S. workforce.
“The AMA is fighting for physicians and a top priority is solving the physician burnout crisis that is driving early retirements,” said Dr. Scott. “The demands on physicians are unrelenting and the risk of reduced patient access to care is growing. To reduce burnout, the AMA is focused on immediate threats to the physician workforce and health care 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 health care system that better supports physicians so we can take the best possible care of our patients.”
The AMA offers physicians and health systems a choice of cutting-edge tools, information and resources to help rekindle a joy in medicine, including:
- Joy in Medicine™ Health System Recognition Program—a prestigious AMA-granted distinction in recognition of a health organization’s demonstrated efforts to enhance physician well-being by resolving the root causes of work-related burnout.
- AMA STEPS Forward®—a collection of award-winning resources and interactive programming offered by the AMA that help physicians and medical teams make transformative changes to their practices and covers everything from managing stress and preventing burnout to improving practice workflow.
- Organizational Biopsy®(PDF)—an assessment tool and set of services developed by the AMA that assesses burnout levels within medical organizations to provide metrics that can guide solutions and interventions that mitigate system-level burnout rates and improve physician well-being.
- American Conference on Physician Health™—a scientific conference sponsored by the AMA, Mayo Clinic and Stanford Medicine that will be held this September in Boston to promote scientific research and discourse on actionable steps to improve physician well-being.
- Debunking Regulatory Myths—a series created by the AMA that provides physicians with resources to reduce guesswork and administrative burdens and focus on streamlining clinical workflow processes, improving patient outcomes and increasing physician satisfaction.
The AMA continues to work on every front to address the physician burnout crisis. Through our research, collaborations, advocacy and leadership, the AMA is working on developing and implementing strategies to optimize practice efficiencies, improve patient care, promote professional satisfaction and ensure practice sustainability.
