Pallav Mehta, M.D.
For healthcare providers nationwide, burnout is not just a buzzword—it’s a pressing issue impacting oncologists disproportionately to their peers. The World Health Organization labels it an “occupational phenomenon” with three dimensions: Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, increased mental distance or negative feelings toward one’s job, and reduced professional efficacy.
Specifically, burnout refers to a state of physical and emotional exhaustion from persistent stress that occurs from feeling overwhelmed and emotionally drained, unable to meet the constant demands of a generally high stress profession, like healthcare. This results in a loss of the very motivation and enthusiasm that led the individual to pursue the role in the first place. In the healthcare setting, it can result in medical errors and lack of empathy, both of which lessen the quality of patient care. Furthermore, we often see higher turnover rates and absenteeism in those suffering from burnout.
Over the last decade, we have seen an alarming rise in burnout with those involved in direct patient care. With the release of the 2024 Physician Burnout and Depression Report, it’s clear that there is an emerging crisis of well-being among physicians of all specialties, but particularly in Oncology, now tied for 2nd in all medical specialties behind only Emergency Room physicians. In the same survey conducted in 2013, oncologists were #13 out of 25 specialties overall and #19 out of 25 in severity of burnout.
The culprits for oncologist burnout are myriad. Bureaucratic tasks, endless work hours, and the relentless intrusion of complex Electronic Health Records (EHR) have eclipsed once-prominent issues like “Compassion Fatigue” and the Affordable Care Act. Recent surveys paint a heartbreaking picture of just how intense this issue is, with up to 90% of oncologists reporting clinical or colloquial depression. While this paints a grim picture, all is not lost. There are numerous strategies being employed across the spectrum to address this crisis. Given the profound nature of the oncologist-patient conversations, simply increasing the time spent with patients vs. time spent in front of a computer screen will be a large part of the remedy. Efforts are also underway to reduce the administrative burden via technologies and personnel. Shifting some of the day-to-day workload appropriately to other members of the clinical team to ensure everyone is functioning top-of-license is also essential.
With the now rampant workforce challenges throughout healthcare, hiring qualified nurses and nurse practitioners is no easy feat. As such, leveraging the virtual space and embracing innovation not just in the direct treatment of cancer, but also in the day-to-day operational workflows of a cancer center will be instrumental in reducing provider burnout moving forward.
Reimagine Care’s team of clinical oncology experts and smart technologies provide a lifeline. By acting as a 24/7 extension of the practice clinically and operationally, we are allowing oncologists to spend more time with patients and less time managing all other tasks that contribute to burnout. For the oncologists we work with, over 85% of the calls, messages, emails, and texts that were previously landing on their plates each day are being resolved by our clinical team, equating to hours per week of time that is now able to be spent in other ways such as spending more time with their families, getting home for dinner and bedtime with their kids, and to not getting woken up in the middle of the night with patient questions or concerns.
By alleviating the burdens that contribute to emotional exhaustion, we are not just transforming the personal lives of oncologists but also creating a path for enhanced patient care while rediscovering the passion that led all of us to this incredibly challenging, complex, and highly rewarding profession.
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About Dr. Mehta: Pallav Mehta, M.D. is a Medical Oncologist/Hematologist specializing in breast cancer currently practicing in the Philadelphia area while serving as Reimagine Care’s Medical Director. He is currently board certified in Medical Oncology, Hematology and Integrative Medicine.
He also serves as Assistant Professor of Medicine, Director of Integrative Oncology and Practice Development at MD Anderson Cancer Center @ Cooper in Camden, NJ. He is Chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology and Director of Oncology for Redeemer Health in Partnership with MD Anderson Cancer Center @ Cooper in Meadowbrook, PA. Dr. Mehta has received over 30 Castle Connolly “Top Doc” distinctions regionally and nationally just over the last 10 years in Cancer Care, Women’s Health, Breast Cancer, Genetics, and Integrative Oncology.