Needless to say, these are challenging times for physicians. New regulations and widespread electronic health record usage have increased administrative burden and clerical work. Practice consolidation has reduced flexibility and autonomy as physicians are also increasingly tracked and measured on many fronts. The COVID-19 pandemic has compounded these pressure and added new challenges, from increased workloads to challenges with work-life integration to health and safety concerns. 

The research below represents the latest studies on the contributing factors to physician distress and burnout today.

a. Understanding Physician Distress

1. Shanafelt TD, Schein E, Minor LB, Trockel M, Schein P, Kirch D. Healing the Professional Culture of Medicine. Mayo Clin Proc. 2019;94(8):1556-1566. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2019.03.026

2. West CP, Dyrbye LN, Shanafelt TD. Physician burnout: contributors, consequences and solutions. J Intern Med. 2018;283(6):516-529. doi:10.1111/joim.12752

3. Sinsky et al.  Allocation of physician time in ambulatory practice: a time and motion study in 4 specialties.  Annals of Internal Medicine 165:753. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27595430

4.  Shanafelt et al.  Burnout and satisfaction with work-life balance among US physicians relative to the general US working population.  Arch Internal Medicine 172:1377. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22911330

5. Brazeau et al.  Distress among matriculating medical students relative to the general population. Acad Med 89:1520. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25250752

6.  Dyrbye LN, Varkey P, Boone SL, Satele DV, Sloan JA, Shanafelt TD. Physician satisfaction and burnout at different career stages. Mayo Clin Proc. 2013;88(12):1358-1367. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2013.07.016

7.  West et al.  Quality of life, burnout, educational debt, and medical knowledge among internal medicine residents.  JAMA 306:952.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21900135