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Physician Burnout: Causes, Consequences and Effective Solutions

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What’s Physician Burnout?

Physician burnout refers to a state of emotional, mental and often physical exhaustion experienced by healthcare professionals due to prolonged stress and overwork.

Defined as a long-term, unresolvable job-related stress that leads to:

  • exhaustion
  • cynicism
  • feelings of detachment

According to the Medscape National Physician Burnout & Suicide Report 2020, it’s a serious issue that impacts not only individual physicians but also the overall quality and sustainability of healthcare delivery.

In specialties like radiology, burnout is recognized as one of the field’s greatest threats.

What’s Causing Burnout in Healthcare?

A recent article published by the American Medical Association (AMA) found that 45% of physicians report at least one symptom of burnout, a number that reflects the growing pressure placed on today’s healthcare professionals.

Many of the causes aren’t limited to individual stressors but are deeply embedded in the system itself. Form navigating complex regulations to balancing patient care with internal processes and politics, physicians are facing challenges that go far beyond the exam room.

Top causes include:

  • laws
  • regulations
  • standards that govern the healthcare system
  • healthcare reform
  • payment policies
  • juggling the requirements of patient care, administration, internal processes and politics

Physicians must stay ahead of the complex shifts in medical aid, drug programs and authorization processes — all while keeping up with their continuous professional development (CPD) to maintain their ability to practice. It’s no surprise that physician burnout is a growing concern, or that the industry is urgently seeking solutions to help ease the pressure on the medical community.

Consequences of Physician Burnout if Left Unresolved

Physician burnout reflects the growing disconnect between the demands placed on healthcare professionals and the resources, time and support they’re given.

Left unchecked, it can lead to high turnover, decreased patient satisfaction and increased medical errors, making it one of the most urgent challenges facing the medical community today. The medical field is increasingly focused on finding meaningful, long-term solutions to physician burnout. While wellness programs may ease symptoms, they don’t solve the root causes.

With only 13% of a physician’s time spent on patient care and the rest tied up in admin, what’s needed are tools that reduce this burden, so physicians can focus on what matters most: their patients.

How AI Is Reducing Physician Burnout in Healthcare

There is immense value in clinical AI as a tool for reducing the pressure put on physicians, not only in terms of admin but also in improving workflows and workloads.

The right solutions, developed specifically for physicians, can make a noticeable difference.

For example, AI and deep learning solutions have been providing radiologists with essential support as they manage ever increasing imaging volumes and have evolved significantly over the past few years. Many of the leading AI-driven solutions offer numerous benefits in radiology AI.

Benefits of Clinical AI

  • streamlined workflows
  • time-saving support
  • increased capacity
  • improved diagnosis reliability

This minimizes pressure on the radiologist as they know that they’re supported and they can improve their level of patient care.

This is where Aidoc’s AI can support physicians in managing burnout and well-being. Aidoc is one of the market leaders in AI-powered radiology solutions, already deployed across more than 400 states and capable of detecting acute abnormalities as they enter the workflow.

Aidoc’s AI:

  • 6 CE marks for its algorithm
  • 6 solutions cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
  • 36.6% reduction in turnaround time1

Aidoc is a proven technology that supports the radiologist in their role, reducing time spent and improving workflows, intending to drive improved patient care and physician support.

Ready to see how AI can help reduce burnout and improve care at your organization?

Request a consultation to learn how Aidoc can support your team.


Citations

  1. University of Rochester – Wismueller et al. (2020) A Prospective Randomized Clinical Trial for Measuring Radiology Study Reporting Time on Artificial Intelligence-Based Detection of Intracranial Hemorrhage in Emergent Care Head CT. Proceedings Volume 11317, Medical Imaging 2020: Biomedical Applications in Molecular, Structural, and Functional Imaging; 113170M doi: 10.1117/12.2552400

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