More than 20 organizations are on board to promote well-being and resilience among physicians through a new "action collaborative" led by the National Academy of Medicine.
Burnout is incredibly prevalent among physicians of all specialties. One survey, conducted by Medscape, shows burnout rates range between 40 percent and 55 percent depending on specialty. Not only does this take a toll on the healthcare workforce, but it also affects patient care. Another recent study found burnout was associated with lower quality of care and patient safety.
The collaborative is set to begin hosting public workshops and meetings in January. The aim is to provide a venue to discuss the underlying causes of burnout and find solutions to address stress, burnout and suicide among all healthcare professionals.
"It's disturbing that so many clinicians are stressed out and overwhelmed, but even more so when we consider the impact on patients and society," National Academy of Medicine President Victor Dzau, MD, chair of the initiative, said in a statement. "Addressing this problem will require individual, organizational, and systems-level reform. The NAM is committed to leading this collaborative effort in finding workable solutions that will ultimately benefit us all."
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