Physician Burnout and Wellness

Physician stress and burnout are common in the practice of medicine and were once thought to be occupational hazards due to hard-driving personality traits. As a result, research focused on ways to help physicians cope with stress. Following decades of study, however, researchers believe that a significant portion of physician burnout is due to potentially modifiable workplace factors. While interventions still include teaching physicians ways to cope with stressful work, more attention is being given to how to change the healthcare workplace, not only to decrease physician burnout but also in order to improve patient quality and safety initiatives. This chapter defines burnout and outlines the historical context of its study and controversy over measurement. The chapter describes studies of physician burnout across the developmental spectrum and discusses the correlates. Finally, the chapter reviews effective intervention strategies and the movement to shift from burnout to physician wellness promotion.