Dr. Marshall Calls for Continued Discourse on Physician Burnout in Oncology

Welcome to a very special edition of OncLive On Air! I’m your host today, Caroline Seymour.

OncLive On Air is a podcast from OncLive, which provides oncology professionals with the resources and information they need to provide the best patient care. In both digital and print formats, OncLive covers every angle of oncology practice, from new technology to treatment advances to important regulatory decisions.

Today, we had the pleasure of speaking with John L. Marshall, MD, chief in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital, professor of medicine and oncology, and director of the Otto J. Ruesch Center for the Cure of Gastrointestinal Cancer at Georgetown-Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, to discuss physician burnout in oncology.

According to Marshall, oncologists rank among the top medical providers to experience burnout. Burnout is characterized by repeated physical and emotional exhaustion, cynicism and depersonalization, and low sense of professional accomplishment, according to a study published in the American Society of Clinical Oncology Educational Book. Results from the study showed that increased exposure to the care of patients who are terminally ill with cancer, high occupational demands, increased administrative responsibilities, use of electronic medical record systems, and lack of social support are just some of the risk factors associated with burnout. While oncologists are at higher risk of experiencing burnout, several steps can be taken to reduce it.

In our exclusive interview, Dr. Marshall provided his perspective on burnout in oncology, discussed the long-term personal and professional consequences of burnout, and shared ways to reduce oncology burnout on an individual and organizational level.