AMA
Survey reveals dip in physician burnout; ‘pajama time’ still an issue
Findings from the latest AMA Organizational Biopsy involving over 12,400 physicians across 31 states and 81 health systems show that while there’s been a slight improvement in burnout symptoms among physicians—down to 48.2% from last year’s 53%—the amount of time dedicated to administrative tasks outside regular hours remains constant. This persistent after-hours workload is primarily due to obligations related to electronic health records (EHRs), with no reduction seen between 2022 and 2023.
Despite the overall weekly working hours remaining steady at an average of 59 hours, physicians continue to spend a significant portion of their time on direct patient care (27 hours) and indirect patient care (14 hours), with administrative tasks taking up another 8 hours. The survey highlights that hospital medicine, internal medicine, and obstetrics specialists are among those reporting the highest weekly working hours. The unchanged rate of after-hours EHR work underscores the ongoing challenge faced by healthcare professionals as they balance patient care with administrative responsibilities.
Source:
Berg, S. (2024, August 13). AMA. Burnout on the way down, but “pajama time” stands still. https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/physician-health/burnout-way-down-pajama-time-stands-still