The Physicians Foundation survey examined the current state of physician morale.
By Jenna Hughes
January 2025 – The Journal of Healthcare Contracting
Many physicians in the healthcare industry have long attested to well-being as a significant workplace challenge.
A recent survey by the Physicians Foundation all but confirms it. According to the data, well-being has remained critically low post-pandemic among physicians across the nation. The report, titled “2024 Survey of America’s Current and Future Physicians,” unveils an urgent need to improve physician mental health and integrate physician perspectives in healthcare decision-making.
Physicians keep the healthcare industry afloat, providing positive patient health outcomes and saving lives, and it is increasingly important for health systems to look out for their staff’s well-being to retain a strong workforce among rising industry challenges.
Facing burnout
Six in 10 physicians and residents and seven in 10 medical students reported experiencing burnout “often.” Additionally, more than half of physicians know of another physician who has considered, attempted, or died by suicide.
“While physicians’ emotional outlook shows some signs of potential improvement, the overall state of well-being for current and future physicians remains low,” said Dr. Gary Price, president of The Physicians Foundation. “We consistently hear that the top factors negatively impacting physician well-being and driving burnout are administrative burdens and loss of physician autonomy.”
Physician well-being has been trending downward since the beginning of the pandemic. Physician-related well-being needs have become an urgent focus across the industry, requiring healthcare leaders to bear in mind physician perspectives when making workplace decisions.
Burnout is a leading cause of workplace challenges in healthcare, and the tragic outcomes affecting the mental health of physicians. Many physicians are still afraid of speaking up to seek mental health help. According to the Physicians Foundation report, more than four in 10 (44%) residents and half of medical students were either afraid or knew another colleague who was fearful of seeking mental health care, based on questions asked in medical licensure/credentialling/insurance applications. Additionally, medical students (49%) are more likely than residents (33%) and physicians (18%) to seek medical attention for mental health issues.
“While we are seeing a shift with medical students being more likely to discuss mental health with peers and classmates and go on to seek care, there are still stigma and structural barriers that prevent current and future physicians from seeking mental health care, and this must change across the industry,” said Dr. Price.
A number of residents (18%), students (22%), and (12%) physicians revealed they know of a colleague or peer who has considered suicide in the past 12 months. Generational shifts, however, have resulted in these groups to be much more likely than before to have had a conversation about seeking mental health support. According to the report, 60% of students agree that well-being is an important topic of conversation in their classes.
In recognition of National Physician Suicide Awareness Day (NPSA Day), the Physicians Foundation and The Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation have started to call for systemic change through Vital Signs: The Campaign to Prevent Physician Suicide, according to the Physicians Foundation, aimed at improving the wellbeing of current and future physicians.
Impact of healthcare consolidation
Healthcare consolidation, or the process of merging or acquiring hospitals and physician practices into large conglomerates, is a significant contributing factor to the current rates of high physician burnout. At least three in 10 physicians who have experienced a merger or acquisition have reported negative affects in job satisfaction (50%), quality of patient care (36%), independent medical judgement by physicians (35%), and healthcare costs for patients (30%).
“Consolidation is dramatically changing the healthcare landscape and practice environment,” said Dr. Price. “Current and future physicians agree that these changes are not good for physicians, patients, and the future of healthcare. Even before the pandemic, physician well-being was in jeopardy; now, the rapid pace of healthcare consolidation is further deteriorating the practice environment.”
Healthcare consolidation inevitably impacts the patient as well as physicians, and according to the report, seven in 10 physicians and medical students believe that consolidation is negatively impacting patient access to affordable and quality care.
“A first step should be for physicians to be part of the decision-making process when it comes to healthcare consolidation,” said Dr. Price. “Furthermore, we need to increase education and awareness for physicians who are considering a healthcare consolidation scenario to ensure policies are included that preserve physician autonomy and keep patient care as a central focus for the practice.”
Safeguards for consolidation identified by physicians, residents and medical students include high rates of agreement with 90% in favor of preserving physician autonomy, 87% in favor of maintaining patient standards, 86% in favor of increasing transparency and disclosure, and 84% in favor of assessing the long-term impact of healthcare consolidation.
Prioritizing well-being
Current and future physicians undoubtedly need well-being solutions that are prioritized by healthcare leaders. These solutions should consider the actual needs of physicians and aim to improve physician well-being while simultaneously retaining more physicians in the industry now and into the future.
In the Physicians Foundation report, 79% of physicians and 87% of residents indicating that the reduction of administrative burdens would prove helpful. Furthermore, 71% of residents and 59% of students found that the change or removal of medical licensure questions that stigmatize accessing behavioral healthcare to be helpful.
“Physician’s viewpoints on workplace issues will be critically important to ensure that our healthcare system works as it should for everyone, especially those who work within it,” said Dr. Price.
There have been signs of positive improvement for physician mental health, which offers hope for future healthcare industry initiatives that prioritize well-being. Significantly fewer physicians, nearly four in ten, or 38%, have reported withdrawing from family, friends, or co-workers, compared to 42% in 2023 and 46% in 2022.
“Physicians are the cornerstone of healthcare, and they must be able to prioritize their own health to provide the quality of care that people deserve,” said Dr. Price. “We need our country’s physicians to be able to care for themselves so that they can continue to care for the rest of us.”