Staffing Shortages Increase Physician Burnout, Study Reveals
TL/DR –
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused persistent staffing shortages in health care, leading to increased physician burnout, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Drawing on data from the AMA Organizational Biopsy, the study found that inadequate staffing contributed to physicians’ intentions to cut clinical hours or leave their organizations, with nearly half of physicians surveyed reporting they worked with an understaffed team more than a quarter of the time. To address this issue, health systems across the country are investing in team-based solutions, such as cross-training staff, expanding medical assistant roles, improving scheduling flexibility, and redistributing administrative work.
Physician Burnout Rises with Staff Shortages Post-COVID
The COVID-19 crisis has left a lasting impact on healthcare professionals, particularly physicians. Increased workloads and emotional stress, exacerbated by high turnover and staffing shortages, have led to a surge in physician burnout. This was revealed in a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
The study utilized data from the AMA Organizational Biopsy, and found that inadequate staffing contributed to doctors’ intentions to trim clinical hours or quit their roles. This highlights the prolonged effects of workforce shortages and understaffing on the morale and retention in medical professions, long after the height of the COVID-19 crisis.
The study participants included 970 physicians from 15 organizations specializing in primary care, medical, surgical, and other fields like radiology, anesthesiology, pathology, and radiation oncology. About half of the physicians surveyed said they worked with understaffed teams for over a quarter of the time, increasing their chances of burnout. Furthermore, 47.9% of respondents met the criteria for burnout, while 26.4% intended to reduce clinical hours, and 15.4% planned to leave their current organization.
“In this study, physicians frequently experienced incomplete team staffing, leading to increased burnout,” said the study, led by AMA member Lisa Rotenstein, MD.
Given the critical role of healthcare teams, the study emphasizes the importance of sufficient staffing to prevent physician burnout and attrition. The AMA, as the leader in physician well-being, is working on reducing physician burnout.
Investing in Team-Based Solutions
As hiring spree isn’t a financially sustainable solution to tackle understaffing, healthcare systems across the country are redesigning care teams to provide better support to physicians and patients. These efforts focus on cross-training staff, expanding medical assistant roles, improving scheduling flexibility, and redistributing administrative work. These measures aim to restore stability and reduce physician burnout.
Several healthcare organizations, part of the AMA Health System Member Program, have implemented successful examples of improved team-based care. These organizations include Confluence Health, Geisinger, Northwell Health, Ochsner Health, Sanford Health, Sutter Health, and The Southeast Permanente Medical Group.
Learn more about the organizations committed to physician well-being in the 2025 AMA Joy in Medicine magazine
Explore resources on improving physician well-being at the American Conference on Physician Health, learn how health systems can reduce physician burnout, calculate the cost of physician burnout to your organization, and watch a video on the latest trends in physician burnout by specialty.
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