Dive Brief:
- Nearly half of physicians have made or considered major career changes due to well-being concerns in the past year, according to a new survey of 1,000 doctors from physician advocacy group the Physicians Foundation.
- Although physician burnout levels have dipped slightly from pandemic highs, mental strain on clinicians remains severe — 55% of physicians say they’ve experienced debilitating stress in the past year, and the same amount say they experience burnout symptoms regularly.
- These issues are more pronounced for employed physicians — who work for hospitals, health systems and other corporations — compared with those working independently, according to the survey.
Dive Insight:
Physicians across the board cite heavy workloads, staffing shortages, inadequate time with patients and administrative burden as the top factors contributing to distress. However, the sources of emotional distress vary greatly depending on practice structure, gender, age, race and geography, the Physicians Foundation’s analysis shows.
For example, physicians younger than 45 report higher distress levels than their older counterparts, while primary care physicians are more likely than specialists to cite administrative burden as a key factor. Female doctors report more frequent feelings of burnout than male doctors.
The starkest disparities came with practice ownership. Employed physicians fare worse than independent physicians across most well-being metrics.
Employed physicians are more likely than independent ones to point to excessive workload, organizational policies and strict productivity expectations as top contributors to their feelings of anxiety and hopelessness. Employed physicians also are more likely to report having only some say in the number of patients they are expected to see on a daily basis.
It’s the latest addition to a trove of data highlighting the effects of healthcare ownership shifts as private practices are swallowed up by corporations and private equity firms expand their footprint in healthcare.
More than 80% of doctors were employed by hospitals, health insurance companies and other businesses last year, compared with 25% in 2012, according to recent data commissioned by the Physicians Advocacy Institute.
Corporate control is exacerbating longstanding physician wellness struggles, according to Dr. Gary Price, president of the Physicians Foundation.
“This is especially evident in control over the work environment, where performance metrics — often set without meaningful physician input — can pressure physicians to see more patients in less time. Frustrations over control of time with patients, administrative tasks, workload, inefficient workflows and priorities do not appear to be easing,” Price said in a statement.
Nearly four in 10 respondents to the Physicians Foundation survey said they declined additional responsibilities or leadership roles due to well-being concerns. Others are reducing their clinical hours or retiring earlier than planned, with employed and younger physicians more likely to have at least considered changing employers or practice settings.
Physician lobbies, such as the American Medical Association, have said that corporate involvement in healthcare can hurt patient-provider relationships and erode care quality. The Physician Advocacy Institute has called for lifting restrictions on physician-owned hospitals.
However, hospital lobbies like the American Hospital Association argue that the shift away from independent practices toward corporate employment reflects doctors’ desire for the support and stability that a bigger company can provide, rather than overly aggressive consolidation.
Lawmakers have tried to address the issue, introducing a bill last year that would lift restrictions on building physician-owned hospitals, but it has not advanced past committee referrals.
