Burnout = a symptom of something larger: our broken health care system.

The moral injury of health care is being unable to provide high-quality care and healing in the context of health care.

Most physicians enter medicine following a calling rather than a career path. They go into the field with a desire to help people.

Preventions of delivering good patient care:

- Electronic health records: distract from patient encounters and fragment care, overwhelm busy physicians with tasks unrelated to providing outstanding face-to-face interactions.

- The constant specter of litigation (practice of settling a dispute) drives physicians to over-test, over-read, and over-react to results.

PROFIT > CARE

The underlying issues / consequences behind profit-oriented care (e.g. negatively impacting patients and the quality of treatment they receive)

HCWs are being overworked due to HCW shortage, and as a result is neither beneficial for the mental health of practitioners or the care of patients

Many doctors have resigned, not because they are burnt out, but rather the moral injury they are suffering from. In today’s society, many practitioners are demanded to focus less on patient care, which is what most physicians enter into medicine for, rather than inputting data.

Overworked Healthcare Workers: The shortage of healthcare workers creates a structural issue where existing staff are overworked to compensate for the deficit. This can lead to burnout, fatigue, and a decline in the quality of care provided.

Moral Injury: The pressure to prioritize profit can result in moral injury for healthcare practitioners. Moral injury occurs when individuals are put in situations that violate their moral and ethical principles. In the context of healthcare, this can happen when practitioners are forced to compromise patient care for financial goals.

Demoralization: The phenomenon of doctors resigning due to moral injury highlights a structural problem within healthcare systems. When healthcare professionals are demoralized and feel their commitment to patient care is compromised, it has significant implications for the overall quality of healthcare delivery.

Modern medicine has morphed from a healing profession into a business where the primacy of profit takes precedence over greater human needs.

The survey findings indicate that Americans are uncertain about care options as they age and are reluctant to discuss their personal needs with a healthcare system they do not generally trust

There is still profit to be made maintaining the status quo. However dismal the health care situation has become for individuals and families, the for-profit health care industry still churns out billions in profits.

Encourage policymakers to prioritize the development and implementation of healthcare policies that emphasize ethical principles, patient-centered care, and the well-being of healthcare workers.

Advocate for transparency in healthcare systems, including financial practices. Patients, healthcare workers, and the public should have access to clear information about how financial decisions impact patient care.

Call for increased support to address shortages and prevent overworking of HCWs. Advocate for better working conditions, competitive salaries, and better health support services.

Encourage and support research that examines the impact of profit-driven models on healthcare outcomes. This research can provide evidence to inform policy changes and support the case for patient-centered care.

Call on healthcare institutions to adopt and prioritize ethical guidelines that emphasize the importance of patient-centered care and the well-being of healthcare workers.