“Burnout” training helps doctors deal with emotions
A new form of training is aimed at countering physician burnout – a mental health issue which has emerged as a significant problem in the U.S. for both the medical professionals who suffer from it and the patients whose care may be affected by it. Physician burnout can lead to errors in care that can raise the cost of both health care – potentially putting it beyond some patients’ means – and malpractice insurance.
How widespread is the problem? According to Medscape's National Physician Burnout & Depression Report 2018, 42% of the physician respondents reported burnout and 15% admitted experiencing clinical or colloquial forms of depression.