options (mentioned later in this report) to physicians who are under treatment and in good
standing with a recognized physician health program (PHP) or other appropriate care
provider.
It is also recommended that boards take advantage of all opportunities available to them
to discuss physician wellness, communicate regularly with licensees about relevant board
policies and available resources, and make meaningful contributions to the ongoing
national dialogue about burnout in order to advance a positive cultural change that
reduces the stigma among and about physicians seeking treatment for mental, behavioral,
physical or other medical needs of their own.
The Workgroup’s recommendations to external organizations and stakeholders focus on
increasing the awareness and availability of information and resources for addressing
physician burnout and improving wellness. The value of noting and listing the
availability of accessible, private, confidential counselling resources is a particular point
of emphasis in this report, as is dedicating efforts to ensuring that any new regulation,
technology, or initiative is implemented with due consideration to any potential for
negative impact on physician wellness.
This report, which follows two years of careful study, evaluation and discussion by
Workgroup members, FSMB staff, and various stakeholders, is intended to support initial
steps by the medical regulatory community to begin to address the issues associated with
promotion of physician wellness and mitigation of burnout, to the extent that is possible.
The information and recommendations contained herein are based on principles of
fairness and transparency, and grounded in the primacy of patient safety. They emphasize
a responsibility among state medical boards to work to ensure physician wellness as a
component of their statutory right and duty to protect patients.
Background and Charge:
In 2014, the Ethics and Professionalism Committee of the Federation of State Medical
Boards (FSMB) engaged in several discussions about the risks to patient safety that may
result from disruptive physician behavior. As these discussions proceeded, it became
apparent from a review of the literature and discussions with state medical boards that a
link exists between many instances of disruptive behavior and symptoms of professional
burnout experienced by so-called “disruptive physicians.” The Committee, chaired by Dr.
Janelle A. Rhyne, M.D., MACP, determined that further research into physician health,
self-care, and burnout should be conducted to identify resources that may be of value for
state medical boards and physicians alike, and to outline possible roles for the FSMB and
its partners to better promote patient safety and quality health care.
Given the complexity of the issue and the many factors contributing to physician burnout,
in 2016, Dr. Arthur S. Hengerer, MD, (while serving as Chair of the FSMB), established
the FSMB Workgroup on Physician Wellness and Burnout to study the issue further. The
Workgroup was specifically charged with identifying resources and strategies to address