Internists blame bureaucracy as top cause of burnout.

According to a survey conducted by Medscape, burnout among internal medicine physicians in the United States has decreased over the past year. The main cause of burnout was identified as bureaucratic tasks such as charting and paperwork, followed by insufficient compensation and lack of respect from employers, colleagues, and staff. The survey also found that burnout had a negative impact on personal relationships, and nearly half of the physicians reported that their burnout was severe enough to consider leaving medicine. Positive coping strategies such as exercise and talking with friends and family were commonly used to manage burnout. The survey suggests that increased compensation, additional support staff, and more flexible work schedules could help alleviate burnout. It is important for healthcare organizations to engage with physicians, listen to their concerns, and provide resources to address burnout and depression in order to promote a positive work environment and retain experienced physicians. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Internal Medicine News is the property of Frontline Medical Communications and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)