Physician burnout has declined for 3 consecutive years since it’s COVID-era peak, falling to 41.9% in 2025. Still, nearly 43% of physicians report significant job-related stress, according to AMA data. Physicians point to ineffective electronic health record (EHR) systems, gaps in leadership transparency and support, inadequate staffing, and excessive administrative work, as key drivers of their stress.
Heather Farley, MD, MHCDS, vice president of professional satisfaction at the AMA, argues that no amount of stress management will eliminate those organizational issues. When asked which well-being initiative looks good on paper but falls short in practice, she did not hesitate.
“I would definitely point to well-intentioned wellness initiatives that focus exclusively on helping physicians manage stress without addressing the conditions that create that stress in the first place,” Dr. Farley told DocWire News.
Valuable, but Not a Fix
Dr. Farley was quick to note that physicians deserve access to resources that support their personal well-being, and she was careful not to dismiss these programs outright. The problem comes when those resources become the main strategy. When these programs are offered as the primary organizational response to burnout, they simply miss the mark, she said.
“You can teach a physician stress management techniques all day, but if they return to an environment that is completely dysfunctional with inefficient workflows, not enough staff, and a significant mismatch between job demands and resources, you’ve not really addressed the underlying cause,” Dr. Farley explained.
She contends that there is a subtle cost as well. These approaches “can inadvertently send the message that burnout is something that you should manage on your own.”
What Change Looks Like
The answer, according to Dr. Farley, isn’t to abandon individual support but to put it in its proper place.
“The most effective approach is to address the organizational conditions that drive burnout while of course also making individual support resources available to those who need or want them,” she said. “So that organizational change truly has to be the foundation.”
She noted that some health systems are implementing AI-assisted documentation and inbox management tools, while others are redesigning workflows to spread work more evenly and efficiently across the care team.
She also supports “Getting Rid of Stupid Stuff” initiatives, which ask physicians and care teams to flag redundant documentation, excessive EHR clicks, and outdated administrative processes, then eliminate them.
“What I love about this approach is that it not only reduces frustration, but it also demonstrates to physicians and care teams that leadership is listening and willing to act on their feedback,” Dr. Farley said.
She pointed to peer support as another approach. Instead of expecting physicians to process adverse events and other emotionally difficult experiences on their own, organizations are training clinicians to provide confidential peer-to-peer support to colleagues after these events.
“Rather than asking physicians to become more resilient to withstand difficult working environments, we’re increasingly asking how we can improve those environments,” Dr. Farley said.