Physician burnout affects nearly half of all doctors in the U.S., and roughly 60 percent of physicians blame their burnout on the tidal wave of bureaucratic tasks facing clinicians, according to new estimates. With a disturbing physician suicide rate and a growing doctor shortage, it’s long past time to solve the problems that breed physician burnout. So where can healthcare begin?
Holon Solutions, a health IT innovator that surfaces data and insights to enhance patient care, decided to kick off the fight against physician burnout with a thank-you note. During HIMSS 2019, Holon hosted a gathering called Cocktails and Comfort, which brought together 125 healthcare leaders to write letters of thanks to their doctors. But the event served as more than a meeting ground for grateful patients. It enabled health IT experts — many of whom attempt to reduce physician burnout every day — to discuss the problem and potential solutions.
“It tells a story that real people are affected by physician burnout,” Shereese Maynard, M.S., MBA, key opinion leader and managing director of Envision Care, said. “And what Holon is doing is allowing those stories to be told and actually effecting positive change to solve those issues.”
What is physician burnout?
The Sharp Index, a nonprofit dedicated to measuring and stopping physician suicide, co-hosted the event. Founder Janae Sharp said physician burnout is such an overwhelming issue that it’s difficult for some people to even begin to tackle it. But the simple act of writing a letter could change that perception.
“I think each individual has the power to be part of the solution,” Janae Sharp said.
What about the systemic constraints that have exacerbated physician burnout? Technologies like electronic health record systems often get heat for increasing bureaucratic demands and hours worked. But solutions that liberate the data at the point of care and within physician workflows, might just prove to drive the change that physicians and patients need.
Stay tuned for parts two and three in this video series.
Learn more about how Holon Solutions surfaces data and insights to make life easier for providers and their patients.