There are seven key ways for healthcare facilities to reduce burnout among orthopedic surgeons, according to a study published in the Feb. 1 edition of the Journal of the Pediatric Orthopedic Society of North America.
The study, led by researchers in the department of orthopedic surgery at Boston Children's Hospital's and Stanford (Calif.) School of Medicine, reviewed evidence-based strategies for reducing burnout in healthcare settings and identified seven key themes institutions can use to address burnout in orthopedic surgery.
Seven ways to reduce orthopedic surgeon burnout:
1. Recognize that burnout exists and invest in strategies to measure and address it. Measure burnout on a regular basis and compare your institution's burnout with national benchmarks. Provide opportunities for surgeons to discuss burnout to normalize it.
2. Harness leadership support and commitment. Hire leaders who are compassionate and understand burnout. Create opportunities for institutional leadership to intervene in burnout.
3. Establish and sustain a culture of wellness. Reduce stigma around burnout and provide educational and wellness resources. Limit work hours and increase rest periods for surgeons.
4. Promote diversity and inclusion. Recruit and train providers from marginalized communities and diverse backgrounds. Make sure discrimination claims are handled in a timely manner.
5. Secure access to mental healthcare. Create peer-support services and have mental health professionals on-staff. Provide training in psychological first aid.
6. Reduce workplace inefficiencies. Address inefficiencies in EHR systems and hire scribes to reduce burdens.
7. Enhance orthopedic surgeons' autonomy. Provide surgeons with the opportunity to shape their own schedules, offer telehealth, work flexible hours and work part-time when needed.