Twenty-two percent fewer physicians are considering leaving medicine in 2025 compared to November 2023, a new survey found.
The survey, conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of Boston-based healthcare technology company Athenahealth, probed the opinions of 750 primary care physicians and 251 specialists between Jan. 2-15, 2025.
Here are four notes:
1. The number of participants indicating optimism for the future of U.S. healthcare was 29%, down from 48% in January 2022.
2. This year, the number of physicians who consider leaving the profession at least once a week decreased 22% since November 2023.
3. More than half of physicians are reporting better work experiences. Of respondents, 68% said they looked forward to coming to work, 53% said they had a good work/life balance and 51% reported feeling they had adequate time to spend with patients.
4. The number of physicians who feel unable to provide quality care based on volume or cost decreased from 50% in November 2023 to 35%.
“Improved physician sentiment year over year indicates that when tools and technology are designed to address physician’s needs and improve their experience, we can have a tangible impact on the healthcare system — increasing efficiencies for physicians and enabling better patient outcomes,” Nele Jessel, MD, chief medical officer at Athenahealth, said in the release. “AI is moving from hype to reality, and the data show us that physicians are starting to see real benefits in alleviating administrative burden. We must work to continue this momentum and ensure that the right tools and technology are built for, and available to, ambulatory care practices of all sizes.”
