Stress seems inevitable when working in healthcare, but it’s actually snowballed into something more serious: burnout.
A recent survey of 1,733 healthcare professionals conducted by MGMA revealed 45% of those polled responded “yes” to whether they feel burned out. Another 28% said they are “somewhat” burned out. Only about a quarter (27%) answered “no” they do not feel burned out at their job. It’s frightening and disheartening to think that the very people who are trying to provide great care are experiencing such a significant amount of stress at work.
With these results, you may be wondering what causes distress at work to be so high. According to the Medscape National Physician Burnout & Depression Report 2018, the top contributors to provider burnout…
- Too many bureaucratic tasks (charting, paperwork, etc)
- Too many hours at the office
- Lack of respect from employees/colleagues
- Increasing computerization of practice (EHRs)
- Insufficient compensation
- Lack of control
- Feeling like a cog in a wheel
- Lack of respect from patients
- Government regulations
- Decreasing reimbursements
- Emphasis on profits over patients
- Maintenance of certification requirements
While providers and staff alike experience different levels of stress and perform different roles within a medical practice, both groups report feeling the impact of burnout. So how can a modern medical practice battle burnout? The Medscape National Physician Burnout & Depression Report 2018 also included some actions happy providers use to deal with work-related stress. These were the top responses:
- Exercise
- Have autonomy, flexibility
- Maintain a sense of accomplishment
- Manage expectations and have a positive outlook
- Have supportive people around you
- Work in a good environment
- Balance work and home life
Work can be stressful in this industry with the endless appointments, paperwork and other tasks. It may get too overwhelming and lead to feelings of job burnout. ScanSTAT strives to alleviate burnout through helping your practice outsource medical records processes and other back office tasks. If you’re interested in finding out how ScanSTAT can help with the mounting administrative burdens of records release, document filing and routine forms like FMLA and disability, email or call us today (816) 381-9850.