Workforce Vitality
WORCESTER MEDICINE
prevalence was reported between 40-75%, even before COVID-19 devastated hospitals and private practices. In an online survey we received responses from more than 3000 US-based physicians (512 residents/ fellows) about their participation in our devised list of 117 individual hobbies, which we sub-grouped into 15 categories for analytic purposes (Fig 1). Examples of “categories” included team sports, non-team/ individual sports, playing musical instruments, reading for pleasure, writing, visual arts, playing Joel Popkin, MD, MACP games, etc. Respondents were asked to describe their personal activity status for each of the 15 categories in the last six months as “currently active” “formerly uring internship in 1974, when we often worked more than 100 hours per week – including the infamous 60-hour shifts – there active”, or “rarely/never participated.” Additionally, was no burnout in any training program. After all, the term we categorized the 117 hobbies into three perceived “burnout” wasn’t “invented” until 1975 [1]. Freuenberger initially defined levels of social interactivity – 36 as “social,” 47 burnout as “failure or exhaustion because of excessive demands on energy, “isolated,” and 34 “indeterminate.” We used the “Oldenburg Burnout Inventory” to quantitate strength, or resources.” But even in retrospect, while we interns were often terribly fatigued, we weren’t “burned out,” per se, by those “excessive burnout as well as disengagement from work (the demands.” The difference is that in 1974 our punishing workloads were latter a topic for another day). Significant differences were seen across age groups, largely meaningful, while today’s mandated “less excessive” work is degraded by ever escalating technology-based demands – e.g., the genders, and physician specialties in the level of EHR, bureaucratic tasks, regulations, etc. – all resulting in painful burnout. Younger providers (age < 60), women and distancing from our patients [2]. trainees had higher levels of burnout. North American What follows is a look at a single potential mitigation of burnout: The graduates reported slightly higher rates of burnout and utilization of hobbies and other leisure interests. In contrast to mostly disengagement than international graduates. Nearly casual comments in the literature that hobbies are good things to do, our 94% of physicians felt it was important or extremely group performed a quantitative study on this topic [3]. important to have outside interests. Burnout among physicians is a worldwide burden. Clinician burnout In each of our 15 major categories of hobbies, burnout was significantly lower in those who were dramatically impairs physicians, with extension to their patients, peers, students, staff, and families [4]. The burnout epidemic is now active in that category vs. those who were not. The internationally recognized (International Classification of Diseases, highest levels of burnout, however, were directly associated with discontinuance of hobbies and Eleventh Revision), and its cost is in the billions of dollars [5]. The overall proportionately to the number of hobbies given up (Fig 1). Across Fig. 1. Activity Categories vs. Exhaustion and Disengagement all demographic groups, lower burnout was associated with a higher number of active hobbies and leisure activities, as opposed to higher burnout being directly proportional to the number of hobbies given up (Figs 2a and 2b).
Hobbies and Leisure Activities in the Mitigation of Physician Burnout
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Fall 2023
