Burnout: The hidden crisis threatening health system resilience

As someone who’s worked in the healthcare industry for decades, I’ve always been passionate about supporting healthcare professionals. Which is why the topic of burnout is so close to my heart. An international report from Johnson & Johnson has found that more than half of the world’s surgeons are experiencing burnout and over 40% are considering leaving surgery as a result. And even though this study focused on surgeons, it’s a challenge that is no doubt experienced by many healthcare professionals.

Behind the Mask: The Hidden Toll of Surgeon Burnout, which explored the views of over 1,500 surgeons from five countries, paints a picture of surgeons struggling with the emotional and physical fallout of prolonged exhaustion, stress and overwhelm. Shockingly, just 36% of surgeons assessed their mental health as positive, with respondents rating difficulty devoting enough time to family (48%), admin burden (47%) and long hours (44%) as key contributing factors.

The high-stakes nature of a surgeon’s job also takes a toll, with 82% reporting having experienced distress or self-doubt following poor patient outcomes, and 68% saying they sometimes feel forced to compromise patient care due to the systemic pressures of work. More than two-thirds (71%) said that the stress of their work follows them home.

The high individual cost of burnout

At a human level and for someone who cares deeply about this industry, these findings make for hard reading, particularly as surgeons have some of the highest known rates of suicide among physicians. (1,2) Studies have also shown that burnout is directly associated with self-reported perceptions of major medical errors and decreased efficacy. As a matter of urgency we need to better understand and address the challenges that surgeons face, reduce the threat of burnout, and improve mental well-being.

A threat to health system resilience

I believe this report should act as a wake-up call for anyone interested in the resilience of healthcare systems and their ability to deliver ongoing quality care to patients. As European populations age and the burden of chronic disease increases, demand for surgical interventions is set to rise over the coming decades. We need more surgeons and HCPs, not fewer, and the impact of these professionals leaving the field will be huge, not least because of the high cost of training them in the first place.

Our recommendations to policymakers, decision-makers and payers

As well as identifying the problem, the report also indicates where the most fertile ground for change lies – in improving the structures and systems that support surgeons, rather

than attempting to boost individual resilience. Surgeons are already displaying high levels of commitment and purpose, with 90% citing ‘making a positive impact on patients’ as a key aspect of their job. It is in areas such as restoring autonomy, reducing admin and building environments where surgeons feel supported and valued where I think we should focus:

1. Adopt value-based procurement and contracting as the standard, and invest in innovative technologies. This approach rewards outcomes, safety, and digital readiness, leading to greater efficiency and fewer complications – two key stressors for surgeons

2. Invest in the surgical workforce as essential infrastructure. Allocate funding for dedicated training periods, multidisciplinary simulation, and mentorship programs; incorporate mental health support systems; and establish retention incentives

3. Cut the administrative burden. 85% of surgeons said that investment in technologies to significantly reduce admin and streamline processes would positively impact the profession, with 62% suggesting such changes would help improve mental health.

Investing in our surgical workforce

I’m seeing first-hand a growing recognition among policy and decision-makers that healthcare spending is a strategic investment and a key driver of growth, efficiency and societal resilience. Indeed, recent research has demonstrated that $1 invested in health delivers $2-4 in societal benefits – a substantial return on investment. (3)

I feel strongly that we all need to invest in and deliver solutions that will not only improve surgical outcomes but also improve outcomes for surgeons and healthcare professionals.