Physician Burnout: Recommendations for HMO Managers

If HMOs are to remain viable, they will have to control and eliminate conditions that contribute to the burnout of their physicians. Based on the belief that interventions should be based on a thorough understanding of how an HMO affects burnout, physicians in a large, prepaid group practice were asked to respond to objective and open-ended questions about their background and career, work conditions, professional autonomy, patient care, and stress and well-being. Findings about burnout prevalence, factors related to burnout, and burnout outcomes are presented and used as a starting point for a discussion of possible interventions.