33% of Academic Physicians Want to Quit Their Jobs According to Large Study Reported in JAMA

In a study published in JAMA Network Open, 32.6% of academic physicians surveyed indicated moderate or higher intention to leave (ITL) their institution within 2 years, with anesthesiologists reporting the highest ITL at 46.8%. Analysis of the study results revealed that increased burnout was directly associated with ITL, while increased professional fulfillment was inversely associated with ITL. The findings also identified individual and organizational factors that influence ITL, highlighting areas for potential institutional intervention.

All 37,511 practicing physicians from 15 organizations participating in the Healthcare Professional Well-Being Academic Consortium were invited to complete the survey. A total of 18,719 academic physicians completed the survey. The survey assessed ITL within 2 years on a scale from 0-4, with responses at 2 points or higher classified as moderate or higher ITL. Professional fulfilment and burnout were defined on a 10-point scale using cut points from the Professional Fulfillment Index (PFI). Institutional and organizational determinants of professional fulfillment and burnout were hypothesized according to a 5-point scale. Researchers conducted statistical analyses to identify relationships between the survey parameters.

Of the 18,719 total respondents, 15,890 (84.9%) responded to the ITL item, with 5177 (32.6%) reporting moderate or greater ITL. ITL varied according to medical subspecialty, with the following subspecialties having the highest rates of moderate or greater ITL.

• Anesthesiology; 46.8% ITL rate (95% CI, 42.5% to 51.0%)
• Gastroenterology; 41.3% ITL rate (95% CI, 34.7% to 49.9%)
• Thoracic surgery; 40.2% ITL rate (95% CI, 29.7% to 50.7%)
• Neurological surgery; 40.0% ITL rate (95% CI, 30.0% to 50.0%)
• Critical care; 39.8% ITL rate (95% CI, 33.8% to 45.9%)
• Radiology; 39.8% ITL rate (95% CI, 33.9% to 45.6%)

Burnout criteria were met by 6903 (37.9%) of the respondents, and professional fulfillment criteria were met by 7301 (39.3%) of the respondents. Each 1-point higher burnout score was associated with 52% greater odds of ITL (odds ratio [OR], 1.52; 95% CI, 1.49 to 1.55), while each 1-point higher professional fulfillment score was associated with 36% lower odds of ITL (OR, 0.64; 95% CI, .63 to .65).

Supportive leadership behaviors, peer support, personal-organizational values, perceived gratitude, COVID-19 organizational support, and electronic health record (EHR) helpfulness were all factors associated with lower ITL, while depression and negative impact of work on personal relationships were factors associated with higher ITL. These results are significant in the context of substantially increasing rates of physician turnover and nationwide physician shortages.