In light of recent reports noting that physician burnout has reached epidemic levels (see the November 9, 2016, HRC Alerts), organizations may be interested in a November 23, 2016, article in the Harvard Business Review (HBR). One of the article's authors also conducted a recent study surveying 35 chief medical officers (CMOs) at 35 large hospitals regarding their stress levels and what they do to avoid burnout. A majority (69%) of the CMOs described their current stress levels as either severe, very severe, or "worst possible," and yet most were not burnt out, when assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. The key to not allowing stress to turn into burnout, the HBR authors found, is "tapping into your emotional intelligence." Some components of emotional intelligence include emotional self-awareness, which allows one to understand the source of frustration or anxiety, and self-management, which allows one to stay calm and control impulses when faced with difficult tasks. Conflict management skills, another key to emotional intelligence, allow one to channel stress into problem-solving mode. Empathy is another way to fight stress. "When we actively try to understand others," the article said, "we often begin to care about them." Showing compassion and attuning to other people's perspectives and attitudes can also help deal with stress before it spirals into burnout. Based on responses to the study, the authors offered five tips for managing stress to avoid burnout. First, they suggest, is not to be the source of your own stress. Leaders who are in touch with how much pressure they put on themselves, the article said, are better able to control their stress levels. Second, recognize your limitations. Leaders in the study said this helped them avoid burnout by asking for help from those they trusted. Third, the authors suggest, take deep breaths when tension or anxiety begins to rise. Practicing mindfulness can help deal with immediate stressors as well as long-term difficulties, the article said. Next, they suggest reevaluating one's perspective on a situation; often, looking at a source of stress from a different perspective can be "eye-opening." One CMO interviewed in the study said she was able to turn "bad stress" into "good stress" by looking at it in a different way. Finally, deescalate conflicts by considering the viewpoint of another person. By "putting yourself in the other person's shoes," the authors said, you can much more easily gain trust while engaging in a healthier and less stressful discussion.

HRC Recommends: Changes in the healthcare industry have increasingly led physicians—and other clinical providers—to feel as though they've lost control over their professional roles. Over time, this loss of control, the threat of lawsuits, and disconnection from other providers and members of the healthcare team can result in burnout. Tools and strategies for individual self-care and resiliency are a small part of the solution. Risk managers should work with their organizations to consider other strategies, such as creating opportunities for staff to debrief after stressful situations, limiting moonlighting and consecutive work days, and leveraging the organization's ethics committee for staff issues as needed. Look for more guidance on provider burnout in an upcoming Risk Management Reporter article, available on the HRC website in the coming months.