Burnout and medical errors among American surgeons

Area of Science:

• Medical quality and safety
• Surgical practice
• Occupational health

Background:

• Physician medical errors contribute to patient morbidity and mortality.
• Despite patient safety initiatives, medical errors persist.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between surgeon burnout and self-reported major medical errors.
• To explore the impact of burnout domains on error reporting.

Main Methods:

• Anonymous cross-sectional survey distributed to American College of Surgeons members.
• Utilized validated tools for assessing depression, burnout, and quality of life (QOL).
• Collected self-reported data on major medical errors within the past three months.

Main Results:

• 8.9% of surgeons reported a major medical error in the preceding 3 months.
• Burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal accomplishment) and depression symptoms were strongly linked to error reporting.
• Increased depersonalization and emotional exhaustion were significant predictors of reporting errors.

Conclusions:

• Surgeon burnout and diminished mental quality of life are significantly associated with major medical errors.
• Further research is needed to develop strategies for reducing surgeon distress and supporting those who commit errors.