A Survey of Burnout Among Members of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.

Purpose Physician burnout affects approximately half of US physicians, signi ficantly higher than the general working population. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of burnout speci fically among hand surgeons and to identify factors unique to the practice of hand surgery that may contribute to burnout. Methods A Web -based survey, developed in conjunction with the American Medical Asso- ciation, was administered to all active and lifetime members of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand using the Mini Z Burnout assessment tool. Additional data were collected regarding physician demographics and practice characteristics. Results The final cohort included 595 US hand surgeons (American Society for Surgery of the Hand [ASSH] members) and demonstrated that 77% of respondents were satis fied with their job, although 49% regarded themselves as having burnout. Lower burnout rates were correlated with physicians aged older than 65, those who practice in an outpatient setting, practice hand surgery only, visit one facility per week, having a lower commute time, those who performed 10 or fewer surgeries per month, and being considered grandfathered for Maintenance of Certi fication. It was shown that sex, the use of physician extenders, compensation level, and travel club involvement had no impact on burnout rates. Conclusions The survey demonstrated that nearly half of US hand surgeons experience burnout even though most are satis fied with their jobs. There is a need to increase awareness and promote targeted interventions to reduce burnout, such as creating a strong team culture, improving resiliency, and enhancing leadership. Clinical relevance Burnout has been shown to affect physicians, their families, patient care, and the health care system as a whole negatively. The findings should promote awareness among hand surgeons and inform future quality improvement efforts targeted at reducing burnout for hand surgeons. (J Hand Surg Am. 2020;45(7):573-581. Copyright (C) 2020 by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. All rights reserved.)