From time to time on Neurosurgery Blog, you will see us cross-posting to items from other places that we believe will interest our readers. Today’s post originally appeared in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) on Sept. 1. Neurosurgeon Anthony M. DiGiorgio, DO, MHA, FAANS, Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH and Brian J. Miller, MD, MBA, MPH discuss the impacts and causes of burnout, which affects up to two thirds of physicians.
Although the causes are multifactorial, the authors state that one of the key causes for clinician frustration is quality metrics. Administrative burdens from poorly designed systems and ineffective regulatory policies are central to clinician frustration. Improving these metrics could reduce clinician burnout, with studies indicating that physicians spend less than 15% of their day in direct patient contact. “A living system of quality metrics with a ceiling on their quantity, as well as a metric life cycle with continuous assessment and improvement, would significantly reduce burdens on clinicians and administrators alike” according to DiGiorgio et al.
Click here to read the full article in JAMA.
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