Nearly all doctors feel burnout, but many are encouraged by potential of AI, survey says
Doctors in the U.S. are struggling with burnout, but many believe that AI could help alleviate the problem, according to a survey.
Survey finds doctors struggling with burnout
A new survey commissioned by Athenahealth, a cloud-based healthcare tools provider, has revealed that doctors in the U.S. are facing challenges such as burnout, staffing shortages, and overwhelming administrative workloads. The survey found that over 90% of physicians report feeling burned out on a regular basis, with excessive administrative tasks being a major contributor to this burnout. More than 60% of respondents have considered leaving the medical field.
Physicians are spending an average of 15 hours per week working outside of their normal hours to keep up with their workloads. Additionally, nearly 60% of doctors in the survey said they feel they do not have enough in-person time with their patients and are overwhelmed by excessive communication demands from patients.
Doctors optimistic about the potential of AI
Despite the challenges they face, the survey found that 83% of doctors believe that artificial intelligence (AI) could eventually help alleviate their problems. Physicians see the potential for AI to streamline administrative work, improve the accuracy of diagnoses, and identify patterns in patient data. However, there are concerns that AI could lead to a loss of the human touch in healthcare, with 70% of doctors expressing concern about its use in at least one part of the diagnosis process.
Despite these concerns, the survey revealed that twice as many participants believe AI will be part of the solution rather than part of the problem. AI optimists also tend to feel more positive about the broader use of technology in healthcare, with almost 80% of them stating that technology helps them manage their patient workload.
Implications and future outlook
While AI is not a cure-all for healthcare problems, the survey found that it gives some doctors hope for the future. Around 37% of AI optimists believe that the field is heading in the right direction. However, there is a need for physicians to experience more advantages and fewer burdens when it comes to technology in order to fully benefit from it. The goal is to reduce administrative work and increase efficiencies, allowing doctors to focus more on their patients.
The survey was conducted online by market research firm The Harris Poll on behalf of Athenahealth. It included 1,003 doctors surveyed between October 23 and November 8. Only 5% of respondents reported using Athenahealth's technology.
