Burnout Occurs in Ambulatory Settings, Too

​Medical errors occur outside hospital settings and so does clinician burnout, according to a November 12, 2017, article in MedPage Today. Discussing the American College of Physicians' (ACP) new position paper on patient safety in ambulatory care settings (see Physicians' Group Calls for More Patient Safety Focus in Ambulatory Care Settings), the authors note that burnout and stress contribute to patient safety problems in numerous ways. Emotional exhaustion is one facet of burnout that can affect a provider's cognitive and physical ability to perform tasks and diminish memory and attention span.