32% of Academic Physicians Plan to Leave Workforce, Fueled by Burnout

One-third of academic physicians have at least a moderate intention to leave their facility in the next two years, driven by burnout and a lack of professional fulfillment, a study published in JAMA Network Open found.

High physician turnover exacerbates staffing shortages and disrupts patient care. Physician well-being is a key consideration when it comes to improving retention and minimizing attrition.

Researchers used results from the Healthcare Professional Well-being Academic Consortium (PWAC) survey to assess the prevalence of burnout, professional fulfillment, and intention to leave by specialty across 15 academic sites. Intention to leave was defined as having at least a moderate intention to leave one’s institution within the next two years.

Around 18,000 physicians completed the PWAC survey between October 2019 and July 2021 and met the study criteria. The respondents represented 53 medical specialties.

Nearly 85 percent of respondents (15,890 physicians) answered the intention to leave portion of the survey. Among these physicians, 5,177, or 32.6 percent, reported moderate or greater intention to leave. Intention to leave was similar among women (31.2 percent) and men (33.0 percent) but varied by age.

Forty percent of physicians 60 and older reported intention to leave compared to 29.3 percent of those between 40 and 59 and 32.5 percent of those 39 and younger. There was less variation among different races, with 28.9 percent of Asian physicians, 31.2 percent of White physicians, and 38.9 percent of physicians of other races reporting intention to leave.

Physicians practicing anesthesiology reported the highest rate of intention to leave at 46.8 percent. Physicians practicing gastroenterology (41.3 percent), thoracic surgery (40.2 percent), neurological surgery (40.0 percent), critical care (39.8 percent), and radiology (39.8 percent) also had high rates of intention to leave.

Meanwhile, physicians in nuclear medicine reported the lowest rate of intention to leave at 13.6 percent. Physical medicine and rehabilitation (17.3 percent), neuroradiology (22.6 percent), hospice and palliative care (22.9 percent), and pediatric hospital medicine (23.1 percent) had low rates as well.

Almost 40 percent (37.9 percent) of the sample experienced burnout. Women were more likely to face burnout than men. Burnout was also more prevalent among physicians between 40 and 59 and those 39 and younger compared to physicians 60 and older.

Across different races, burnout was prevalent among 32.8 percent of Asian physicians, 37.3 percent of White physicians, and 40.1 percent of physicians of other races.

Similarly, 39.3 percent of the sample met the criteria for professional fulfillment, with rates highest among men, physicians 60 and older, and Asian physicians.

The prevalence of burnout and professional fulfillment varied by specialty, researchers found. Anesthesiology, pulmonary disease, family medicine, and emergency medicine had high burnout rates and low professional fulfillment rates. On the other hand, neuroradiology, neurological surgery, and neonatal-perinatal medicine had high professional fulfillment rates and low burnout rates.

Pain medicine and pediatric subspecialties had low levels of burnout and professional fulfillment, while urology and hematology/oncology had high levels of burnout and professional fulfillment.

After adjusting for demographics and medical specialty, each one-point higher burnout score was associated with 52 percent higher odds of intention to leave. Each one-point higher professional fulfillment score was associated with 36 percent lower odds of intention to leave.

Additionally, each one-point higher score on measures of supportive leadership behaviors, peer support, personal-organizational values alignment, perceived gratitude, COVID-19 organizational support, and EHR helpfulness were associated with lower intention to leave.

Meanwhile, each one-point higher score on measures of depression and negative impact on personal relationships was tied to a higher intention to leave.

The survey findings indicate that prioritizing initiatives that address burnout, professional fulfillment, and other well-being factors can help prevent physician turnover and reduce physicians’ intention to leave the workforce.