The problem of burnout in healthcare has a long history. Indeed, prior to the Covid pandemic, research from Harvard found that burnout among physicians alone was costing the healthcare industry an incredible $4.6 billion every year in the United States.
The majority of these costs can be attributed to the high turnover rates of physicians and their reduced clinical hours. However, the impact of burnout on the individual cannot be measured solely in economic terms.
Highly stressed physicians are more likely to make mistakes, and the organizational pressures that accompany burnout affect not only the individual, but also those who work alongside them. These human costs cannot be overlooked in the calculation of the true toll of burnout in the medical profession.
On the edge
It’s a situation that has been exacerbated by the pandemic, with research from Queen Mary University revealing that despite similar rates of mental health issues, healthcare professionals working during the COVID-19 pandemic are experiencing burnout at rates up to 3.3 times higher than their non-healthcare counterparts.
This concerning disparity highlights the unique and immense challenges faced by healthcare workers on the frontlines of the pandemic. The toll of this crisis on the mental and emotional wellbeing of these professionals cannot be understated, and addressing burnout should be a top priority for healthcare organizations and policymakers alike.
It’s perhaps no great surprise, therefore, that the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conference has burnout as one of its key themes.
“When we determine the theme of our conferences, we solicit tons of feedback from across the industry, and burnout was something that was almost universally viewed as top of mind,” Hal Wolf, president and CEO of HIMSS, told me. “People want to know what causes it, what the ramifications of it are, and how it can be alleviated.”
The right (wrong) ingredients
When we think of the causes of burnout in healthcare, the huge demands placed on doctors and nurses at work, the intense time pressure people work under, a general lack of resources, and a considerable administrative burden are well-documented factors. The sector also suffers from poor internal communication, a lack of clarity over roles, and a general lack of freedom and autonomy.
“One of the things that we find is really influential in terms of driving up engagement and driving down stress and burnout is giving staff agency over their working lives,” says Julie Stephens, Group Director of Wellbeing and Health & Safety at Bupa. “People need to know that they have control and flexibility over their schedule and that last-minute changes won’t be imposed upon you.”
What’s more, the healthcare profession tends to attract people who are high in terms of needing to please other people, inclined to suppress their own needs, and who attach a large degree of purpose and meaning to their work. Add in high levels of perfectionism and it’s a recipe for burnout.
“Data shows that the suicide rate for female physicians is about 140 points above the average, with this driven in large part by high levels of compassion and empathy alongside an inability to disassociate from work,” says Jennifer Moss, author of The Burnout Epidemic: The Rise of Chronic Stress and How We Can Fix It. “When combined with perfectionist tendencies, this can make dealing with an environment in which it’s not always possible to do your best for patients really difficult.”
Indeed, Moss believes that burnout is often highest in professions where perfectionism is also high. The pressures faced by doctors are already legendary, with healthcare systems the world over struggling with budgetary constraints and ever-growing demand for healthcare services.
Making matters worse
What’s more, matters are often compounded by the introduction of technologies that are sold on the basis of making things better, but actually do the opposite. Indeed, a recent study from Brown University cited the legislative requirements for incredibly long electrical medical record-taking as the key cause of burnout in the United States.
“You don’t want your doctor to be burned out or frustrated by the technology that stands between you and them,” the researchers explain. “In this paper, we show that EHR stress is associated with burnout, even after controlling for a lot of different demographic and practice characteristics. Quantitatively, physicians who have identified these stressors are more likely to be burned out than physicians who haven’t.”
While it can feel like a perfect storm for those in the healthcare profession right now, there are things that can be done to improve matters and reduce burnout levels.
Getting things right
Staff shortages, poor retention rates, and unsuccessful recruitment campaigns have contributed to rising sickness absence levels across the sector. While achieving optimum staffing levels may be challenging due to financial and practical constraints, employers can take steps to boost retention, improve recruitment efforts, and support staff returning to work.
To combat burnout and poor mental health, it is essential to create a healthy and supportive working environment where mental health conversations are encouraged, and managers regularly engage in wellbeing conversations with staff.
Employers should provide safe spaces for discussion and ensure that initiatives are inclusive, catering to all staff needs. Preventative wellbeing initiatives should be embedded into all aspects of the employee lifecycle, and basic staff needs should be met, such as adequate rest and good quality food during shifts.
Recognizing burnout symptoms and providing the right support early on can prevent problems from escalating, reducing staff absences. Employers should train managers and staff to identify symptoms of burnout and signpost appropriate interventions, while providing staff with access to rapid counseling and therapy services.
Employers should also encourage a supportive and compassionate culture by embedding compassion and support into organizational culture, prioritizing staff wellbeing in all aspects of organizational strategy, and providing staff with access to the right equipment, training, and development.
By taking steps to combat burnout in the workplace, it is still possible for healthcare organizations to create a healthier and more supportive working environment for staff.
“We’ve found that burnout is definitely something that can be addressed with a different approach to managing teams and resources,” says Stephens. “This underpins my optimism for the industry as a whole, as healthcare is so important to society and the people working in it do such vital work.”
