Doctors Today May Be Miserable, But Are They 'Burnt Out'?
There's a lively debate going on in the medical community about physician burnout. Who has it? How bad is it? Is it even real?
by Mara Gordon
Sep 18, 2018
4 minutes
Today, JAMA publishes two major studies on a hot topic: physician burnout. Burnout is a buzzword that's been in the news, but what is it? How does it affect doctors and their patients?
It turns out, nobody really knows. The first study, a systematic review, summarizes the research to date on physician burnout. Study authors found that researchers do not use a consistent definition of burnout, and estimates of how common it is vary widely.
followed doctors-in-training over six years and tracked how they felt about their work. They found that women and doctors in certain high-stress specialties were more likely to experience symptoms of burnout, like emotional exhaustion and regret
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