Enhancing Meaning in Work
A Prescription for Preventing Physician Burnout and Promoting Patient-Centered Care
- Author Affiliation: Mayo Clinic Department of Medicine Program on Physician Well-being, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
- KEYWORDS:
- BURNOUT, PROFESSIONAL
- CURRICULUM
- EDUCATION, MEDICAL, CONTINUING
- JOB SATISFACTION
- MENTAL FATIGUE
- PATIENT-CENTERED CARE
- PATIENT-PHYSICIAN RELATIONSHIP
- PHYSICIANS
- QUALITY OF HEALTH CARE
- WORKLOAD
Burnout is a pervasive problem among physicians.1 The burnout syndrome is characterized by losing enthusiasm for work (emotional exhaustion), treating people as if they were objects (depersonalization), and having a sense that work is no longer meaningful (low personal accomplishment).2 Numerous global studies involving nearly every medical and surgical specialty indicate that approximately 1 of every 3 physicians is experiencing burnout at any given time.1
The prevalence of burnout among physicians is cause for concern. Burnout appears to alter both the physician-patient relationship and the quality of care physicians provide. Physicians' degree of burnout and professional satisfaction are related to physician empathy and compassion, prescribing habits, referral practices, professionalism, and the likelihood of making medical errors.1,3,4,5 Physician burnout also appears to influence patient adherence to recommended therapy, the degree of trust and confidence patients have in their physician, and patients' …
