Healthcare provider burnout was negatively associated with care quality and patient safety in the first study to systematically, quantitatively analyze the link between burnout and quality.
For the study, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 82 studies involving 210,669 healthcare providers. Researchers assessed the studies for aspects of provider burnout like emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment. Quality was determined by provider perception of quality, quality indicators and patient satisfaction. Patient safety was assessed by observed medical errors and self-reported errors from providers.
The researchers found a consistent relationship between high levels of provider burnout and lower levels of quality and safety.
"While burnout is not the primary cause of poor-quality healthcare nor the primary cause of patient safety issues, links between provider burnout and care quality and patient safety are real and should be recognized," said Michelle Salyers, PhD, the study's lead author and professor of psychology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. "Our work provides a message for healthcare funders, policymakers and those who 'run' healthcare in a variety of settings — clinic, hospital and system administrators — that as they work to improve patient outcomes and safety, they should pay attention to the well-being of their workforce."
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