Burnout and depression among hospitalists slightly decreased year-over-year, according to Medscape's annual Burnout & Depression Report 2024.
In 2023, 36% of hospitalists reported feeling burnt out, 8% reported feeling depressed, and 22% reported feelings of both. But the latest survey found that those reporting burn out fell 3 percentage points to 33%, depression fell the same amount to 5%, and clinicians experiencing both fell by 6% down to only 16%.
In general, more women than men report experiencing burnout, but the playing field is becoming more even in this respect. For the latest report, 47% of men and 52% of women reported experiencing burnout in their hospital roles. The new data is much closer than 2023's data, in which 53% of men and 66% of women reporting the same.
Burnout is also becoming an enduring, chronic condition for some, with 35% reporting they have felt burnt out for at least two years or longer. The top five factors prolonging these conditions, according to the report, are: too many tasks like charting and paperwork, lack of respect from leadership and colleagues, lengthy shifts, insufficient pay and lack of respect from patients.
But 46% said they don't think their hospitals or held systems seem to adequately recognize or address burnout issues, with only 26% feeling their system does do so.
What can help? The five most cited solutions hospitalists say are essential to reducing burnout further are: increasing flexibility of work schedules, adding support staff, lightening patient loads, increasing respect felt from leadership and colleagues, and increasing physician autonomy.