Beyond Burnout: Rebuilding Radiologist Well-Being

Just as manual laborers wear hard hats and ear protection to help prevent physical injury, physicians also need protective strategies to stay engaged, productive and fulfilled.

“Radiologists are at risk of work-related injuries, including burnout, social injury, isolation, moral injury and work-life integration,” said Tait Shanafelt, MD, during his Monday morning plenary. “Yet most organizations haven’t yet approached this problem with an occupational health way of thinking.”

As Stanford Medicine’s chief wellness officer, Dr. Shanafelt’s research has shaped how organizations think about clinician well-being. He has been named one of TIME Magazine’s 50 Most Influential People in Health by asking how we care for the individuals who care for patients. 

“We as physicians are not immune to the personal forms of distress, from depression and anxiety to substance abuse,” he said. “But the data shows that physicians are at a higher risk of experiencing occupational forms of distress compared to workers in other fields.”

According to data compiled in 2023, radiologists experience above average rates of burnout and average levels of satisfaction with work-life integration. Over the last 20 years, the consequences of burnout, such as medical errors, declining patient satisfaction, reduced work hours and turnover, have galvanized attention on the topic.

“These are important reasons to address burnout as organizations and systems,” Dr. Shanafelt said. “But we mustn’t put a Band-Aid on the problems; we need to address root causes.” 

One especially concerning factor that contributes to burnout is the growing isolation of health care providers. Radiologists are rated fourth highest among 24 medical specialties for isolation, a problem the profession experienced even before the COVID pandemic. Dr. Shanafelt said a level of camaraderie amongst health care workers has helped sustain physicians and providers in what are highly emotionally demanding professions.

“As we’ve gotten busier and interface more with technology, that dynamic has been insidiously eroded,” he said. “We have an opportunity to rebuild that social fabric in light of the new ways radiologists work.”

Leadership Key to Culture of Wellness

In a 2017 survey, radiologists had the highest mental demand of any medical specialty. Reducing factors that are extraneous to that load, such as workflow inefficiencies and interruptions, should be the focus for process improvement strategies.

Research has also shown that while radiologists fare better than other medical specialties in finding higher meaning in their work and on fatigue scores, they fare worse when it comes to self-compassion, adverse effects on personal relationships and moral injury.

“Physicians are some of the most resilient people on the planet, and yet the current health care system is burning out 30% of them, so we will not be able to resilience our way out of this problem,” Dr. Shanafelt said.

He suggested several steps radiologists can take to reduce the risk of burnout, such as spending at least 20% of your time engaged in your most meaningful work activity and working with a professional coach. 

However, Dr. Shanafelt noted that these strategies represent the minority of the opportunity. “Twenty percent of the issues can be addressed by individuals, but 80% of the issues require systemic changes. 

He emphasized that the longest lever for change is leadership. “A culture of wellness isn’t healthy food in the cafeteria and an on-site gym, but good leader behavior,” he said. 

Access the presentation, “System Interventions to Foster Clinician Well-Being,” (M4-PL02) on demand at RSNA.org/MeetingCentral