Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Physician burnout is a threat, no different from the spread of a virus—here’s how to fix it

Ben Kornitzer, MD
Physician
July 15, 2023
Share
Tweet
Share

Few problems in health care are more vexing or persistent than physician burnout. It’s a problem that poses a serious threat to patient care, no different from the spread of a virus or the impact of cigarette smoke. And it has only gotten worse since the pandemic.

Burned-out physicians are less effective as healers. They don’t connect as well with patients, undermining the therapeutic benefits of a close clinician-patient relationship. They are also more likely to make clinical errors.

But today, in our health system, an estimated 42 percent of physicians suffer from burnout. Not only is this impacting health outcomes, but it is also causing a severe and worsening physician shortage, especially in primary care. Last year, nearly 30,000 adult primary care physicians (PCPs) left the practice of medicine. A growing number of exhausted physicians are cutting back their clinical hours, pursuing non-medical careers, or retiring prematurely. Addressing burnout and its causes is key to reversing the great migration away from patient care, preventing the current shortage from growing much worse. We are at a tipping point, and we need solutions fast.

The main drivers of burnout, especially for PCPs, are obvious: too many short, hurried visits; diminished professional autonomy; and an overwhelming documentation workload. Doctors are growing increasingly frustrated by a working environment that prevents them from delivering the best possible care to their patients. This all stems from a health care model that incentivizes the quantity of patient visits over quality. Physicians know they could be more effective healers, but the system obstructs them.

Until and unless the nation can move to a system that rewards value more than volume, efforts to reverse burnout are destined to fall short. Health care outcomes will continue to suffer as a result.

Let’s start with the problem of the shrinking physician visit. To keep up with the perverse incentives inherent to fee-for-service reimbursement, PCPs have been forced to cram more visits into office hours to make their practices economically viable (four short visits pay better than one long one). By contrast, physicians compensated on patient outcomes – keeping patients well and out of the hospital – do not need to see 25 or 30 patients per day to keep their practice running.

I work with physician groups across the country, representing more than 2,700 community PCPs, who have committed to 100 percent value-based care for seniors. The results have been dramatic. Our most effective partner physicians spend significantly more time with their highest acuity patients – and schedule fewer, longer visits each day. This has proven to be a much more satisfying way to practice. In fact, in these practices, we see a 95 percent annual retention rate.

Value-based care is a team sport. Rather than practicing in an individual and isolated manner, PCPs in value-oriented practices lead interdisciplinary teams consisting of social workers, pharmacists, care managers, and nurse practitioners.

Value-based care can also ease documentation requirements, a major driver of physician dissatisfaction. Under fee-for-service reimbursement, physicians are often forced to jump through hoops to justify billing requirements that have nothing to do with better care. In contrast, value-based care centers on capturing only essential data for improving patient outcomes, freeing up physicians to focus on patient care, even if there isn’t an associated billing code.

Physicians choose medicine because we want to make a difference in people’s lives. On my very first day of medical school, a professor welcomed us to this noble guild by saying the greatest thing a physician can be is useful. In a mature value-based care practice, everything – from scheduling to staffing configurations to patient outreach efforts – is designed to make doctors more useful, keeping patients healthy and independent.

We have lost our way in fee-for-service medicine; we can regain it through value-based care.

Ben Kornitzer is a physician executive.

Prev

Residency match system and flexibility: the hidden factors behind burnout

July 15, 2023 Kevin 0
…
Next

Discover the power of direct primary care and patient-centric solutions [PODCAST]

July 15, 2023 Kevin 0
…

ADVERTISEMENT

Tagged as: Practice Management, Primary Care

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Residency match system and flexibility: the hidden factors behind burnout
Next Post >
Discover the power of direct primary care and patient-centric solutions [PODCAST]

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Ben Kornitzer, MD

  • 7 principles for navigating the physician job market in a post-pandemic world

    Ben Kornitzer, MD

Related Posts

  • Chasing numbers contributes to physician burnout

    DrizzleMD
  • A physician’s addiction to social media

    Amanda Xi, MD
  • More physician responsibility for patient care

    Michael R. McGuire
  • Health care needs more physician CEOs

    Alexi Nazem, MD
  • The health care system will cause its own physician shortage

    Advait Suvarnakar and Aashka Suvarnakar
  • 3 ways physician-pharma partnerships are improving quality of care

    Jack Pinney, MD

More in Physician

  • Why so many doctors secretly feel like imposters

    Ryan Nadelson, MD
  • Why enterprise risk management is key to value-based health care success

    Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD
  • Rethinking physician resilience for sustainable well-being

    Sarah Webber, MD
  • How shared language saved a patient from isolation

    Syed Ahmad Moosa, MD
  • The shocking risk every smart student faces when applying to medical school

    Curtis G. Graham, MD
  • The physician who turned burnout into a mission for change

    Jessie Mahoney, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

      Joshua Vasquez, MD | Policy
    • The shocking risk every smart student faces when applying to medical school

      Curtis G. Graham, MD | Physician
    • Why specialist pain clinics and addiction treatment services require strong primary care

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Conditions
    • Harassment and overreach are driving physicians to quit

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician
    • Why so many doctors secretly feel like imposters

      Ryan Nadelson, MD | Physician
    • Why peer support can save lives in high-pressure medical careers

      Maire Daugharty, MD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

      Joshua Vasquez, MD | Policy
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
  • Recent Posts

    • Why so many doctors secretly feel like imposters

      Ryan Nadelson, MD | Physician
    • Why telling kids to eat less and move more fails to address obesity

      Callia Georgoulis | Conditions
    • Why enterprise risk management is key to value-based health care success

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician
    • Rethinking physician resilience for sustainable well-being

      Sarah Webber, MD | Physician
    • How shared language saved a patient from isolation

      Syed Ahmad Moosa, MD | Physician
    • The shocking risk every smart student faces when applying to medical school

      Curtis G. Graham, MD | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 3 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

      Joshua Vasquez, MD | Policy
    • The shocking risk every smart student faces when applying to medical school

      Curtis G. Graham, MD | Physician
    • Why specialist pain clinics and addiction treatment services require strong primary care

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Conditions
    • Harassment and overreach are driving physicians to quit

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician
    • Why so many doctors secretly feel like imposters

      Ryan Nadelson, MD | Physician
    • Why peer support can save lives in high-pressure medical careers

      Maire Daugharty, MD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

      Joshua Vasquez, MD | Policy
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
  • Recent Posts

    • Why so many doctors secretly feel like imposters

      Ryan Nadelson, MD | Physician
    • Why telling kids to eat less and move more fails to address obesity

      Callia Georgoulis | Conditions
    • Why enterprise risk management is key to value-based health care success

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician
    • Rethinking physician resilience for sustainable well-being

      Sarah Webber, MD | Physician
    • How shared language saved a patient from isolation

      Syed Ahmad Moosa, MD | Physician
    • The shocking risk every smart student faces when applying to medical school

      Curtis G. Graham, MD | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Physician burnout is a threat, no different from the spread of a virus—here’s how to fix it
3 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...