Op-ed: Changes necessary to curb physician burnout

New evidence suggests that nearly half of all physicians experience some form of burnout, and that the problem is getting worse. A January 19, 2019 op-ed in the Boston Globe called burnout among doctors a crisis that “could not be more urgent.”

The op-ed—co-authored by Dean Michelle Williams of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health—recommended three key changes to curb burnout: provide mental health support for physicians; streamline the usability of electronic health records; and appoint chief wellness officers at every major health care organization.

The authors wrote, “We need to take better care of our physicians and all caregivers so that they can continue to take the best care of us.”

Read the Boston Globe op-ed: Doctor burnout is real. And it’s dangerous

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Leading health care organizations declare physician burnout as ‘public health crisis’ (Harvard Chan School press release)