A recent issue of JAMA included several articles dedicated to burnout among physicians. The first, by Dr. Shanafelt, was an editorial addressing the topic (JAMA. 2009 Sep 23;302(12):1284-93).
The reasons for the timely covering of this topic are outlined in the editorial:
“Physicians in the United States will face a host of new challenges over the next decade as the nation reforms its
health care system. This restructuring will likely result in reduced physician compensation and autonomy, increased time pressure, and myriad new administrative challenges. These changes have the potential to increase the already epidemic levels of burnout among physicians and to overwhelm those currently near their limits. Although many physicians may be tempted to respond to this challenge by retreating from work (eg, more time off, reduced scope of practice, retirement), the study by Krasner and colleagues15 demonstrates that training physicians the art of mindful practice has the potential to promote physician health through work. Physicians continue to control the most sacred and meaningful aspect of medical practice—the encounter with the patient and the reward that comes from restoring health and relieving suffering. Reminding physicians of this fact and helping them recognize and enhance the meaning they derive from the practice of medicine may help protect against burnout and promote patient-centered care for the benefit of both physicians and their patients.”
The full citation is available at this PubMed link.
The issue of JAMA can be found at this link.
Read about the other JAMA articles on these PRN links:
