Radiologists experienced routine symptoms of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization - often accompanied by issues of financial scarcity. Radiologists felt the classic symptoms of burnout defined by the report as a loss of enthusiasm for work, cynicism & a low sense of personal accomplishment. Most of Radiologists said income & reimbursement issues are among the top reasons radiologists are experiencing high levels of stress & burnout. The top three causes of burnout physician-wide were having too many bureaucratic tasks, too many work hours and increasing computerization. For radiologists, income issues and the reimbursement imbalance that has emerged in recent years are often central to stress & burnout. Imaging utilization has increased without proportionate increases in reimbursement, which has created an increasing gap between productivity and reimbursement. That's a set-up for stress and burnout, and making things worse, physicians often have poor stress-coping skills. It recommended mental health and career planning resources for radiologists, research grants to evaluate evidence-based interventions & the addition of wellness-based curriculum components for radiologists.
