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The Ethical Implications of Burnout: A Moral Imperative to Prioritize Physician Well-Being, Resilience, and Professional Fulfillment

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Depression, Burnout and Suicide in Physicians

Abstract

The epidemic of burnout illuminates a public health crisis within medicine, and in oncology, with noteworthy ethical implications for sustaining the workforce. Physicians report increased time and responsibility dedicated to electronic record documentation, patient quotas, and administrative tasks that compromise their personal and professional values, physician-patient relationship, and the provision of quality, ethical care. These tasks contribute to burnout and moral distress resulting in consequences including anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and a demoralized workforce. From an ethical perspective, the physician-patient relationship will only be sustained if the medical community deliberately prioritizes physician well-being. Efforts dedicated to fostering resilience and professional fulfillment are critical. Workforce sustainability is an organizational moral imperative that ultimately advances care. Leadership has a fiduciary duty to recognize burnout and its ethical impact on overall well-being; proactively engage leaders and physicians in collaborative action planning; and improve practice environment and culture.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Chicago Medicine, Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, Maclean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics, Program for Supportive Oncology, Chicago, IL, USA

    Fay J. Hlubocky

  2. Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Chicago, IL, USA

    Mehmet E. Dokucu

  3. Division of Oncology, University of Washington, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle, WA, USA

    Anthony L. Back

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  1. Fay J. Hlubocky
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  2. Mehmet E. Dokucu
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  3. Anthony L. Back
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Correspondence to Fay J. Hlubocky .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy

    Luigi Grassi

  2. Department of Medicine, Northwell Health Cancer Institute Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, NY, USA

    Daniel McFarland

  3. Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Michelle B. Riba

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Hlubocky, F.J., Dokucu, M.E., Back, A.L. (2022). The Ethical Implications of Burnout: A Moral Imperative to Prioritize Physician Well-Being, Resilience, and Professional Fulfillment. In: Grassi, L., McFarland, D., Riba, M.B. (eds) Depression, Burnout and Suicide in Physicians . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-84785-2_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-84785-2_7

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-84784-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-84785-2

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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