Leo Sher, M.D.

A research article, “Vacation days taken, work during vacation, and burnout among US physicians” has been published in the JAMA Network Open (1). According to this cross-sectional study, taking fewer vacation days and working during vacation time were associated with higher rates of burnout among physicians.

This survey of US physicians was conducted between November 20, 2020, and March 23, 2021. Among 3024 respondents, 1790 of 3004 (59.6%), took 15 or fewer days of vacation in the last year, with 597 of 3004 (19.9%) taking 5 or fewer days. The majority, 2104 respondents (70.4%), performed patient care–related tasks on vacation, with 988 of 2988 (33.1%) working 30 minutes or more on a typical vacation day.

Concerns about finding someone to cover clinical responsibilities and financial concerns were associated with decreased likelihood of taking more than 3 weeks of vacation per year. Taking more than 3 weeks of vacation per year was associated with lower rates of burnout on multivariable analysis, whereas spending 30 minutes or longer per vacation day on patient-related work was associated with higher rates of burnout.

Vacation is an important restorative activity. Time away from work provides an opportunity to rest and recharge and is associated with benefits to both employer and employee, including improved job performance. The authors suggest that normalizing the expectation that physicians take time off and fully disconnect from clinical work while away may be beneficial at both the organizational and professional level.

Reference

1. Sinsky CA, Trockel MT, Dyrbye LN, Wang H, Carlasare LE, West CP, Shanafelt TD. Vacation days taken, work during vacation, and burnout among US physicians. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Jan 2;7(1):e2351635. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.51635.