How Medical Staff Burnout Can Affect You

You entrust your health and well-being to the healthcare providers who care for you. But what happens when they're not feeling their best? Medical staff burnout is a serious issue that can significantly impact patients. A pre-pandemic report by the National Academies of Medicine found that up to 54% of physicians and nurses suffered from burnout.

Medical Errors

Working under stressful conditions can cause immense issues for health care professionals and their patients. A survey of 6,880 U.S. physicians found that around 491 doctors admitted to feeling concerned about a major medical error they may have made in the last three months. Out of those 491 doctors, there were around 35 cases in which a patient suffered from a “significant permanent morbidity.” About 30 of those cases resulted in a patient’s death.

The same survey also revealed that physicians who displayed signs of burnout were around 2.2 times as likely to report a potential medical error. As a result, patients and their loved ones are suffering the consequences which can be deadly. Currently, medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the U.S.

Other Consequences of Medical Burnout

Health care professionals are subject to burnout for a variety of reasons. Long hours, high stress levels, and complex cases can all take a toll on even the most dedicated workers. A 2022 report by Medscape found that out of 13,000 physicians, one in 10 physicians considered attempted suicide in 2021.

Hospitals and large heath care organizations must take proactive steps to avoid over scheduling their staff members and spread-out responsibilities. Regardless, the right party should be held accountable for your injuries—whether it was a neglectful healthcare professional or a negligent hospital system that failed to take care of its own staff.

The Grossman Roth Yaffa Cohen team has a long history of representing medical malpractice victims in Florida. We have successfully taken on some of the biggest hospital systems in the country, having recovered millions of dollars for our clients.

We encourage you to contact us for a free case review if you think you may have a medical malpractice case on your hands. We will listen to your story and answer any questions you may have. There is no risk or obligation, so please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Call us at (866) 629-1061 or visit our website to request a consultation with a member of our team.