BALTIMORE, Oct. 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — The American Urological Association (AUA) applauds the National Academy of Medicine for its most current report, "Taking Action Against Clinician Burnout: A Systems Approach to Supporting Professional Well-Being." The below statement is attributable to AUA President John H. Lynch, MD, FACS.

"We applaud the National Academy of Medicine for developing this important report to explore physician burnout and its impact on patient care in the United States. The AUA, like many others in the healthcare community, echoes the concerns expressed by the Academy and calls for steps forward in advancing change to help physicians across the country. This publication reflects the findings of our own AUA Census, which reported burnout rates for urologists as being high, with more than one-third of urologists experiencing symptoms. Addressing causes of burnout is a priority for the AUA.

Burnout is real. It impacts the entire healthcare system, and exacerbates already-existing workforce shortages in many specialties, including urology. The six goals outlined in this report – creating positive work environments, addressing burnout in training and at early career stages, reducing tasks that do not improve patient care, improving usability and relevance of health information technology, reducing stigma and improving recovery services, and creating a national research agenda on clinician well-being – are laudable first steps to consider as we move toward a solution."

About the American Urological Association: Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology, and has more than 23,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health policy.

SOURCE American Urological Association