About 52% of oncologists reported experiencing burnout, according to a 2023 Medscape report.
Burnout is characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization or feelings of cynicism and a low sense of personal achievement. It is often associated with poor work-life balance and stressful work environments.
A panel of experts at the 2023 European Society for Medical Oncology offered three solutions to easing oncologist burnout. One expert noted that every system is different and requires personalized feedback, however.
"No one knows your job better than you," Claire Hardy, PhD, from Lancaster University in the UK, said in the meeting. "No one knows better than you where the inefficiencies are, where the bureaucracy is that could be taken away, or it could be done by somebody whose role it is to sort all that out."
Here are three ways to ease oncologist burnout:
- Deal with staff shortages and reduce chronic workload issues.
- Provide resilience training. It should begin in medical school, but no matter where it starts, teach oncologists how to deal with bad news and cope with patient deaths.
- Provide a psychologically safe environment where oncologists are able to speak out about issues.