A ‘chief wellness officer’ is among the suggestions from a major report on burnout in the US medical system, which says change must come at an institutional level if the problem is to be addressed. 

The report by the National Academy of Medicine notes that 54% of US doctors have “substantial symptoms of burnout”, experiencing high levels of emotional exhaustion, cynicism and low work satisfaction. 

The “magnitude of the burnout problem” and the growing consequences for clinicians, patients and healthcare systems require an immediate commitment to major systemic changes, the authors say.

Solutions to support physician wellbeing need to come from the leaders of healthcare organisations, government, education and industry to address the workplace and learning factors that contribute to burnout.