The steady rise of burnout among U.S. physicians is a major issue in the health care industry. A 2019 survey by Medscape noted that 44% of physicians reported feeling burned out. In some specialties that number is more than 50%.
One devastating statistic reveals that an estimated 300 to 400 U.S. physicians die each year from suicide. A new paper, published by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the Harvard Global Health Institute, the Massachusetts Medical Society and the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association, has deemed the condition a public health crisis.
On this episode of Perspectives on Health & Tech, we are joined by Janae Sharp, health care editor at Sharp Index, her nonprofit dedicated to reducing physician suicide through awareness and data science. She is here to talk about the epidemic of physician burnout and steps that can be taken to reduce this serious problem. Janae answers the following questions:
• What led you to become an advocate for the needs of physicians?
• What tools and services does Sharp Index offers to help physicians deal with burnout and depression?
• How has Sharp Index used data to better understand physician burnout and depression and work toward solutions?
• How can health IT and clinical informatics be used better throughout the health care industry to enhance both patient health and the physician experience?
• What are the most important next steps that the health care industry needs to take to make a real difference in the physician burnout crisis? Where do you think things are headed in the next five years?
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