Will doctors turn to AI to help fix professional burnout?

Doctors across the United States are grappling with burnout, staffing shortages, and excessive administrative burdens, according to a recent survey.

However, amidst these challenges, many physicians express optimism about the potential of artificial intelligence to alleviate these issues, the survey found.

Commissioned by Athenahealth, a provider of cloud-based healthcare tools, the survey unveiled that more than 90% of physicians experience burnout regularly.

The primary driver behind this burnout is cited as excessive administrative tasks, with 64% of doctors feeling overwhelmed by paperwork requirements.

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Over 60% of respondents admitted to considering leaving the medical field due to these challenges.

Manage workloads

Physicians are resorting to spending an average of 15 hours per week working beyond their regular hours to manage their workloads, a phenomenon often referred to as “pajama time.”

Additionally, nearly 60% of doctors expressed dissatisfaction with the amount of in-person time they have with patients, while over 75% reported feeling burdened by patients’ excessive communication demands outside scheduled visits.

The survey also shed light on the challenges faced by healthcare organizations, with 78% of physicians acknowledging the impact of poor staff retention and shortages within their workplaces. Furthermore, less than 40% of doctors expressed confidence in their employers’ financial stability.