When we go to the hospital or visit our doctor, we expect to receive a standard level of care. However, physician burnout is a systemic issue that can affect the quality of care we receive.
What is physician burnout?
Physician burnout is a state of emotional, mental and physical exhaustion caused by the demands of a high-stress profession. It can result from long hours, heavy patient loads and bureaucratic tasks that take time away from actual patient care.
Doctors experiencing burnout may feel disconnected from their patients, lack motivation and struggle to make sound judgments. Too often, this leads to mistakes and oversights that compromise patient health.
The consequences for patients
Burnout doesn’t just harm the doctors themselves; it also has severe consequences for patients. When doctors are burned out, they may make more mistakes. This can lead to:
- Misdiagnosis
- Medication errors
- Delayed treatment
- Poor patient communication
- Increased risk of infections in hospitals
In other words, burnout isn’t just feeling bad or tired—it can actually lead to serious harm or even death for patients. So, what can we do about burnout and its impact on patients?
What can we do about burnout?
Addressing physician burnout is crucial. Here are some steps we can take:
- Support systems: Hospitals should offer robust support systems for their staff. These offerings can include mental health resources, adequate staffing levels and reasonable scheduling policies.
- Use of technology: Advances in technology, such as AI, can help reduce doctors’ workloads. According to the American Medical Association, AI can assist with administrative tasks, giving doctors more time to focus on patient care.
- Accountability: Hospitals and administrators must be held accountable for injuries and illnesses caused by poor policies and oversight. In Miami, holding medical institutions accountable can drive systemic change.
Improving these areas can help reduce burnout and improve patient care.
Knowing the signs of burnout and its impact on patient care can help you advocate for yourself and others. Unfortunately, patients don’t typically know if their care providers are experiencing burnout until it’s too late and that burnout has contributed to a serious injury. Under these circumstances, you may have grounds for a medical malpractice claim to hold negligent hospitals, administrators or physicians accountable for the conditions that contributed to adverse medical events.