1 out of 4 Massachusetts doctors plan to leave medicine in the next two years: ‘Distressing’

About 1 out of 4 Massachusetts doctors are planning to say goodbye to medicine in the next two years, according to a new survey that’s raising serious alarms about the future of the state’s physician workforce.

The survey, by Massachusetts Medical Society, has revealed concerning levels of burnout among doctors in the Bay State, an already troubling situation that was exacerbated by the grueling COVID-19 pandemic.

Of the more than 500 members who completed the Massachusetts Medical Society survey, 55% of the physicians reported that they have experienced burnout symptoms.

Also in the survey, half of the doctors said they have already reduced their clinical effort or are “definitely” or are “likely” to cut their clinical hours before this June. About one in four doctors said they plan to leave medicine in the next two years.

“The scourge of physician burnout and compromised well-being among physicians and members of the health care team remains a threat to public health and patient care,” said Massachusetts Medical Society president Ted Calianos.

“The unprecedented stress placed upon health care workers and the health care system during the COVID-19 pandemic expectedly exacerbated an already troubling situation,” he added.

Susannah Rowe, a lead author of the report who’s an ophthalmologist, emphasized the importance of lessening administrative burdens and improving workplace support and culture so “physicians can focus on caring for patients.”

“Importantly, to achieve meaningful change, we must intentionally address the particular workplace challenges faced by younger doctors, female physicians and physicians of color,” added Rowe, who’s the associate chief medical officer for wellness and professional vitality at Boston Medical Center, and assistant professor of ophthalmology at Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine.

According to the survey, the top work-related stressors are: increased documentation requirements (not always related to clinical care); lack of support staff for non-medical tasks; time spent dealing with prior authorization; overreach of non-medical administrators in medical decision-making and resource allocation; and turnover of clinical and/or non-clinical staff.

“The survey results are not wholly surprising nor inconsistent with what is happening across the country, but they are distressing,” Calianos said. “During recent years, stakeholders have made earnest and consistent efforts to enact the fundamental and systemic changes required to decrease burnout and its effects, but, clearly, there is much work to be done.

“Particularly urgent is the need to work harder to address the professional well-being of and recruitment and retention of physicians from underrepresented populations,” he added.

Four years ago, the Massachusetts Medical Society was among the first heath care organizations in the U.S. to confront physician burnout when it joined with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the Harvard Global Health Institute, and the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association and deemed the condition a public health crisis.