Skepticism on AI’s ability to improve burnout remains, although 28% say AI can help with administrative burden;
Younger and female doctors cite more frustration and less satisfaction, as they are “just trying to survive” 

WATERTOWN MA March 5, 2024 — Physician burnout among US healthcare professionals (HCPs) declined slightly in 2023, with 64% percent of US HCPs saying they are frustrated by the pressure put on them today – down from 70% in 2022 and corroborating other recent reports. Yet burnout and physician retention concerns remain sizably higher than in 2021, previously at 47%. Nearly one in four HCPs in the US feel the impact of professional burnout on their mental health (26%), or say they are burned out professionally (23%). Two-thirds in the report say that burnout has worsened since the pandemic. More than half (52%) say that burnout frequently impacts doctors’ ability to provide high-quality clinical care to their patients.

Despite the buzz on artificial intelligence (AI), US HCPs are skeptical. Just one in five (28%) say that AI can significantly alleviate burnout through administrative automation. Even fewer HCPs say that any of five other AI-enabled use cases are promising for mitigating burnout.

This data comes from the annual burnout report from InCrowd, a real-time global data and insights provider to the healthcare and life sciences industry and a brand of Apollo Intelligence (Apollo). The data collection, analysis and reporting were powered by Apollo Intelligence’s agile life science insights platform. The report quantifies physician perceptions of burnout using real-time data. Access the full report here.

“Burnout remains a persistent obstacle to delivering quality care in the US, despite positive year-over-year trends among physicians in 2023,” stated Rob DeMento, chief operating officer (COO) of Apollo. “Physicians also maintain skepticism about AI’s ability to alleviate burnout, though acknowledging specific AI implementations can offer substantial value. InCrowd’s burnout report aims to shed light on ways to enhance support for physicians and underscores the role the life science industry can play in this effort.”

Doctors give low marks on their medical centers’ efforts to address burnout, with only 11% strongly agreeing that their medical center effectively addresses burnout and 28% strongly disagreeing. Physician retention also remains an issue, with more than half (58%) of US doctors in 2023 saying they know a colleague who has left or is leaving clinical care because of burnout in the past 18 months. This figure is up significantly from 55% in 2022 and 41% in 2021.

Verbatim remarks decry perceived superficial measures and compensation, limited support and resources, and workload and productivity pressures that put them in survival mode.

“The quality of care is not as important as the quantity of care. The financial rewards favor quantity over quality.” – PCP, M, over age 50 

“Our facility has a very high physician turnover rate and does nothing but offer wellness retreats and medical scribes. It puts blame solely on physicians for improving their mental well-being” – Oncologist, F, under age 50

Other noteworthy findings include:

• Far more physicians in 2023 say they find their profession extremely rewarding – 42%, up from 30% in 2022. However, one in four (25%) in 2023 still say they are considering leaving their clinical profession, and only 27% today would encourage a family member to pursue their career.
• Younger HCPs under age 50 cite slightly more frustration with the pressures put on them today, at 66% compared to 62% among their peers age 50 or older. Fewer younger HCPs feel appreciated for their work (29%, compared to 35% for HCPs age 50+) or say they currently find their profession extremely rewarding (36% in doctors under 50, 49% among doctors age 50+).
• Female HCPs feel the pressure of their profession much more strongly than their male HCP counterparts, with 75% of female vs. 58% of male respondents frustrated by the pressure put on them today, and 27% of female vs. 35% of male HCPs feeling appreciated for their work.
• Among six AI-enabled technologies that could alleviate burnout, automating administrative tasks such as billing and scheduling is the top most promising opportunity, cited by 28% of HCPs in the report. Virtual health assistants rank next, cited by 13%, with remote patient monitoring (10%), diagnosis assistance (9%), personalized treatment plans (8%) and healthcare chatbots (6%) named as promising by even fewer respondents.
• More HCPs under age 50 rate AI as helping alleviate burnout via administrative automation – 34% versus 19% for HCPs age 50 or older. Younger doctors also positively skewed toward AI-powered virtual health assistants and healthcare chatbots.

Verbatim remarks from physician respondents suggest ways pharmaceutical firms and others in the healthcare industry can lighten the burden on our healthcare professionals – from making prior authorizations as minimally painful as possible, decreasing drug costs, and providing concise educational materials.

The InCrowd 2023 Physician Engagement in the Time of Burnout report includes data from n=253 physicians representing a mix of specialties from its proprietary mobile-enabled panel, responding from January 18 – 22, 2024 to a 6-minute Agile Research Microsurvey leveraging Apollo’s next-generation insights platform. Respondents are US-based and work in clinical practice. For more information, download the report here.

About Apollo Intelligence, LLC

Apollo’s mission is to accelerate health innovation to improve life. In 2019, Apollo launched with the acquisition of InCrowd, a pioneer of real-time, automated insights for the life science industry. In 2020, Apollo strengthened its global reach by acquiring Survey Healthcare Global, a market leader in first-party healthcare data collection and custom survey solutions. In 2024, Apollo acquired GlocalMind, a global technology-driven healthcare market research services and panel company, expanding its reach in Europe and APAC while enhancing follow-the-sun life science market insights efficiencies. Through these unique firms, Apollo provides access to two million healthcare stakeholders worldwide—physicians, KOLs, patients, caregivers, and allied healthcare professionals. Apollo’s 300+ employees support top global pharmaceutical and healthcare brands, market research agencies, and consultancies across 13 countries in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Apollo is a portfolio company of Frazier Healthcare Partners. For more information about Apollo, please visit our website at www.apollointelligence.net.

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Contacts:

Kate Maul
Marketing Director for Apollo Intelligence
kate.maul@apollointelligence.net
617-515-6819

Mary Kae Marinac
PR Representative for Apollo Intelligence
mk@mkmarinac.com
978-685-3136