Almost half of orthopedic surgeons said they experienced burnout, according to Medscape's "Physician Burnout & Depression Report 2023."
Medscape surveyed 9,175 physicians across 29 specialities for the Jan. 27 report. Physicians were surveyed between June 28, 2022 through Oct. 3, 2022.
Five things orthopedic surgeons should know:
1. Forty-five percent of orthopedic physicians surveyed said they were burned out. The specialty, along with plastic surgery (46 percent), nephrology (44 percent) and cardiology (43 percent), had lower reports of burnout.
2. The most burnt out specialty was emergency medicine, with 65 percent of physicians reporting it. In 2018, 45 percent of emergency physicians reported burnout.
3. Women physicians were more likely to be affected by burnout. Sixty-three percent of women physicians who responded said they were burnt out, compared to 46 percent of men.
4. Physician burnout overall was less likely in office-based solo practices. Forty-three percent of physicians in that setting reported burnout, while 57 percent of outpatient clinic physicians said they were burned out. For hospital-employed physicians, 55 percent said they experienced burnout.
5. Overall, 23 percent of all physicians surveyed said they were depressed. Sixty-seven of those reported "colloquial depression," and 24 percent reported "clinical depression."