Intervention for physician burnout: A systematic review

Abstract

Burnout is an important problem for physicians, with a strong impact on their quality of life and a corresponding decrease in the quality of care with an evident economical burden for the healthcare system. However, the range of interventions used to decrease this problem could be very fragmented and with the aim to shed some light on this issue, this study reviews and summarizes the currently available studies. We conducted a systematic review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines to identify studies about intervention on physician burnout. Two authors independently searched into scientific databases to analyze and review the full papers that met the inclusion criteria. As a result, from an initial search of 11029 articles, 13 studies met full criteria and were included in this review. Of the 13 studies presented, only 4 utilized randomized controlled trials, therefore the results should be interpreted with caution. Future interventions should focus on a more holistic approach using a wider range of techniques. According to the studies selected in this review, it appears that a successful intervention for burnout should take into account the broad range of causes incorporating a variety of therapeutic tools.

Keywords

• intervention
• physician burnout
• systematic review
• burnout
• psychology
• assessment
• method