New Recommendations Address Physician Burnout

The Collaborative for Healing and Renewal in Medicine recently released an 8-step charter of recommendations for the prevention of physician burnout.

The Charter on Physician Well-Being, which was endorsed by the American Medical Association and the Association of American Medical Colleges, is especially geared towards addressing problems such as dissatisfaction, depression, and increased suicide risk among physicians that can, in turn, lead to suboptimal patient care, lower patient satisfaction, decreased access to care, and higher healthcare costs.

The following recommendations are included:

• Foster a trustworthy and supportive culture in medicine by ensuring alignment between the stated values of medicine and actual practice.
• Advocate for national medical policies and regulations, which can enhance physician well-being at the local level.
• Build supportive systems that include providing sufficient resources to manage the pace and volume of work.
• Develop engaged leadership within organizations such as medical schools, residency programs, hospitals, and healthcare systems.
• Optimize highly functioning interprofessional teams, which can, in turn, optimize patient care.
• Anticipate and respond to inherent emotional challenges of physician work, such as adverse events and patient deaths.
• Prioritize mental health care and openly promote systems that encourage physicians to seek assistance.
• Practice and promote self-care, which can enrich well-being.

To view the full version of the charter, click here.

—Christina Vogt

Reference:

Thomas LR, Ripp JA, West CP. Charter on physician well-being [Published online March 29, 2018]. JAMA. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.1331.