Burnout among healthcare professionals: What are the concrete solutions?

Burnout is a common but often unspoken issue among healthcare professionals. Doctors and therapists face intense stress and overwhelming workloads daily, making them particularly vulnerable to burnout. Among general practitioners, 30% experience moderate levels of burnout. This article explores the problem of burnout in the medical field and offers concrete solutions to help ease your daily workload.

Burnout in healthcare: An often overlooked reality

Burnout is a significant but frequently ignored issue among healthcare professionals. Long working hours, heavy responsibilities, and constant pressure to deliver high-quality care contribute to its prevalence. Additionally, healthcare workers’ administrative tasks have increased by about 25 minutes over the past decade, now totaling up to 2.5 hours per day! Finally, this situation is exacerbated by a shortage of medical staff in healthcare centers.

Burnout statistics in healthcare

Statistics highlight the severity of burnout among healthcare professionals in Switzerland. According to the Job Stress Index report, 30.3% of the working population in Switzerland felt emotionally exhausted in 2022, with one in six having experienced burnout, amounting to nearly 17%! A 2014 study by ASMAC revealed that 33% of doctors sometimes feel on the brink of saying, “I can’t take it anymore.” Currently, 20-40% of healthcare personnel show signs of burnout.

Solutions agains burnout in the healthcare sector

The importance of vacations to disconnect and avoid burnout

Vacations aren’t just for patients! They are essential for reducing the mental load of work, provided you truly disconnect. Taking vacations is a simple yet effective solution to prevent and treat burnout. Vacations allow you to rest, relax, and recharge, thereby reducing accumulated stress and exhaustion.

To ensure that preparing for your vacation doesn’t become a source of stress, we’ve prepared a checklist to properly prepare for your vacation!

Utilizing modern solutions

Modern equipment can help doctors improve efficiency and reduce their workload. Digital tools like electronic patient records and synchronized practice management software can automate tedious tasks and save time daily.

Therapists can benefit from customized management software. We recommend choosing software that supports Tarif 590 invoicing, allowing you to create invoices with just a few clicks.

Online booking

Online appointment booking is another effective solution. It allows your patients to schedule appointments 24/7, significantly reducing the administrative burden of phone calls and appointment management. This system also enhances patient satisfaction by offering greater flexibility.

SMS reminders

Automated SMS reminders can reduce the administrative load and stress associated with managing appointments. By sending automatic SMS reminders to patients who booked online, you simplify appointment management without adding extra work. Additionally, this helps prevent no-shows and delays.

More time for you, less risk of burnout

Burnout among medical staff and therapists is a serious issue with real consequences in Switzerland. Taking vacations and adopting modern digital tools are strategies to simplify your work and achieve a better work-life balance. By implementing these changes, you can prevent and treat burnout, allowing you to provide better care for your patients.

Sources

• Burnout chez les médecins – parlons-en : concepts, dépistage et que faire ? – N. Bajwa, Université de
• Genève Faculté de Médecine, HUG, R. Bonvin, Université de Fribourg, H. Richard-Lepouriel, HUG, A. Zyska, ASMAC
• Is Switzerland becoming the ‘burn-out nation’? – Samanta Siegfried, SwissinfoJob-Stress-Index 2022 – Gesudheitsforderung Schweiz
• Médecins au bord de la crise de nerfs – La Tribune de Genève
• Unisanté lance une vaste étude nationale pour améliorer la prise en charge du burnout professionnel – Unisanté