Key Strategies to Promote Professional Wellness and Reduce Burnout in Oncology Clinicians

Burnout in oncologists has been increasing, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. This is concerning because burnout can have both personal and professional repercussions, as well as a negative impact on patients and organizational financial health. Drawing on information and ideas discussed at an ASCO Town Hall session at the 2023 Annual Meeting developed by the State of Cancer Care in America Editorial Board, this study reviews key organizational strategies for improving professional well-being and argues for the importance of measuring and researching the well-being of the oncology workforce to ensure healthy work environments. Although both individual- and organizational-level interventions to mitigate burnout are valuable, organizational interventions have been shown to be the most effective. Thus, strategies to ensure professional wellness should focus on developing organizational policies, cultures, and best practices that create healthy work environments. Specific policies and best practices for organizations to prioritize include the following: (1) Eliminating low-value work, including processes related to electronic health record systems. (2) Restructuring teams to efficiently complete work. (3) Promoting clinician work-life integration. (4) Promoting psychological safety in the workplace to prevent workplace discrimination. (5) Identifying individual practice stressors. (6) Fostering community within the organization.