Preventing and treating burnout among physicians in Japan

The work environment of physicians is demanding and contributes to their poor well-being. Physicians are often burned out, and their state of burnout affects not only the quality of their lives but also the quality of healthcare services. The health of burned-out physicians deteriorates mentally, physically, and socially. Furthermore, burnout among physicians is associated with poor patient satisfaction and increased medical error. The wide range of consequences has urged policy-makers and local leaders to begin taking actions. The aim of this paper is to assess potential policy options to prevent burnout among physicians in Japan. The severity of the burnout epidemic, the theories and concepts related to burnout, and the socio-political environment in Japan are analyzed in order to suggest policy solutions. The role of leadership in the effective implementation of policy change is also reviewed. Between 20% to 40% of physicians from various disciplines in Japan are estimated to be burned out, which poses a threat to their lives and to the healthcare system. According to the conservation of resources theory, preventing loss of resources and enhancing opportunities for resource gain are key strategies for preventing burnout. Factors such as long work hours and poor access to mental healthcare are considered to be threats to physicians’ resources yet there was no strict enforcement of limiting the amount of overtime work until recently. As part of its labor reform strategy, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare recommended limiting the amount of overtime and suggested shifting and sharing physician tasks to other healthcare workers. After examining a range of policy options for preventing burnout at the organizational and national policy levels using a public health lens, work-hour limitation combined with task shifting and sharing and building an organizational structure focused on improving the well-being of physicians are considered effective policy options for preventing loss and enhancing gain of physicians’ resources. Along with these policies, leadership plays an important role in policy implementation. Leaders must set a clear vision, communicate with stakeholders, and build a coalition to implement the policy. Additionally, chief officers at hospitals should employ leadership skills and tools, such as setting SMART objectives and using logic models, to accelerate change and achieve the goal of preventing burnout among physicians in Japan.Master of Public Healt