Elsevier

Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology

Volume 44, Issue 5, September–October 2015, Pages 389-390
Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology

Burnout in Radiology

https://doi.org/10.1067/j.cpradiol.2015.04.007Get rights and content

Burnout is a psychological syndrome that arises in the setting of prolonged work-related stress. Although its specific manifestations are highly variable, the core features of burnout include emotional exhaustion, callousness or apathy towards patients or peers, and feelings of personal inadequacy. Burnout can have profound consequences for the affected physician, his or her patients, and the health care system at large. Increased rates of substance abuse, depression, and suicide have been linked to physician burnout, as have medical errors and lapses in patient safety. Disruptive workplace behaviors, such as presenteeism (which is reduced productivity due to physical or emotional dysfunction), absenteeism (which is nonparticipation in work), high employment turnover, and early retirement also have been linked to physician burnout and depression. In this article, we review causes, preventive measures and possible solutions for physician burnout.

Section snippets

What is Burnout and Why Does it Matter?

Burnout is a psychological syndrome that arises in the setting of prolonged work-related stress. Although its specific manifestations are highly variable, the core features of burnout include emotional exhaustion, callousness, or apathy toward patients or peers and feelings of personal inadequacy.1 These hallmark symptoms and their workplace origins help to distinguish burnout from other psychiatric conditions such as depression, fatigue, anxiety, and lack of motivation,2 although there may be

How Does Physician Burnout Develop?

For most people, gainful employment is an essential basis for satisfaction, social status, and self-esteem. However, for a multitude of reasons, work can also be a source of considerable stress—physicians are certainly not immune to this stress. In a recent study by Shanafelt et al,14 physicians in general were found to be more likely to express symptoms of burnout than other professionals did, with 45.8% of all physicians reporting at least one symptom of burnout.

Under certain circumstances,

Are Radiologists Immune to Burnout?

Despite radiologyʼs branding as a “lifestyle specialty,” traditional assumptions about work-life satisfaction and burnout may not necessarily apply. For instance, emotionally exhausted medical students might self-select for a field with relatively scarce patient contact. Similarly, the relatively isolated nature of a radiologistʼs work could exacerbate individual tendencies for social detachment. Conversely, radiologists have traditionally enjoyed above-average financial compensation with a

Hope for a Cure: Preventive Measures and Possible Solutions

Although the complex interplay of workplace stressors likely affects each radiologist idiosyncratically, there appear to be a few broadly applicable remedies for burnout. Maintaining physical fitness is a commonly cited means of staving off burnout. Although this may be challenging for radiologists, given the relatively sedentary nature of the job, certain technological and behavioral interventions could combat this tendency.24, 25

There may be significant psychological benefit to maintaining

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