About one-third of infectious disease physicians practicing in the U.S. are burned out, according to Medscape's 2020 "Infectious Disease Physician Lifestyle, Happiness & Burnout" report.
For the report, Medscape polled 15,181 physicians from more than 29 specialties between June 25 and Sept. 19, 2019. Responses were then broken down based on specialty.
Five report findings:
1. Thirty-four percent of infectious disease physicians reported being burned out, and 5 percent said they were depressed.
2. The most common reason for burnout was too many bureaucratic tasks (49 percent), followed by lack of respect from leaders and colleagues (46 percent) and long work hours (43 percent).
3. More than half (54 percent) of infectious disease physicians said they have never sought, and don't plan to seek, professional care for depression or burnout.
4. Fifty-seven percent of physicians said their symptoms were not severe enough to warrant seeking help.
5. Forty percent said they were unlikely to participate in a workplace program on physician wellness, and 29 percent said they were likely to participate.
To view the full report, click here.