Provider Burnout Grew as the Pandemic Dragged On. What Do We Do About It?

A survey of physicians published by Mayo Clinic Proceedings found a “dramatic” increase in burnout coinciding with lower satisfaction scores on work–life integration (WLI) 21 months into the COVID-19 pandemic compared with earlier periods. By 2021, 62.8% of physicians who participated admitted to at least one manifestation of burnout, compared with 38.2% in 2020. WLI fell from 46.1% in 2020 to 30.2% in 2021. Emotional exhaustion scores tracked along with those findings, increasing from a 2020 mean of 21.0 to a mean of 29.1 in 2021. This will come as no surprise to JUCM readers who may recall our article, The COVID-19 Pandemic Is Making Burnout Worse for Physicians Already In Crisis. Unfortunately, while the pandemic increased risk for and incidence of burnout, the problem predated the advent of COVID-19. To get a better understanding of the signs and symptoms, as well as how to support team members at risk, read Recognizing and Preventing Provider Burnout in Urgent Care in our archive.