What Do We Really Know About Addressing Burnout Among Healthcare Workers? Maybe Less Than We Think

https://academic.oup.com/healthaffairsscholar/advance-article/doi/10.1093/haschl/qxag041/8494225?rss=1&login=false This policy inquiry responds to the question: Are commonly held assumptions about how to address healthcare workers’ burnout truly evidence-based? We think not. Our conclusion is informed by findings from a recently completed large systematic review commissioned by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). We highlight significant gaps in research regarding effective interventions directed at healthcare worker burnout. We include findings related to social support initiatives where limited credible evidence points to the potential for positive effects. We conclude that certainty about the effectiveness of intervention programs directed at burnout are elusive and there is a dire need for additional study using rigorous methods given the healthcare worker shortage we now face.