SGO Wellness Committee publishes new study, “SGO and the elephant that is still in the room: Wellness, burnout, and gynecologic oncology”

Burnout among gynecologic oncology providers is on the rise, stimulating the need for resources that address wellness for healthcare professionals. Using data from the 2020 SGO State of the Society survey, which for the first time included questions on key wellness topics, the SGO Wellness Committee performed a study to measure overall wellness and identify trends that will inform future interventions and the development of more practical resources for gynecologic oncology care teams.

In this study, published in the November issue of Gynecologic Oncology, the authors found that burnout in gynecologic oncology persists in both genders; however, female gynecologic oncologists were disproportionately affected by burnout and reported worse work-life balance. “I think a lot of it breaks down into traditional gender roles,” Brittany Davidson, MD, Assistant Professor at Duke University and Vice-Chair of the Wellness Committee, elaborates. “While there are exceptions, to be clear, women are often the dependent parent and juggle work responsibilities on top of the mental load of arranging childcare, maintaining a stable household.” There are also data in the primary care literature that demonstrate that female physicians spend more time in their electronic health record because both staff and patients make more requests of them than their male counterparts. Realistically, clinicians do not have the resources and support to juggle these responsibilities or to manage the stress that may come with serving in multiple professional and familial roles.

The study also revealed that more gynecologic oncologists screened positive for depression than in previous years but were less likely to seek professional mental healthcare. Many external factors affect clinician well-being such as societal and patient expectations, administrative responsibilities, and imbalanced workload to name a few. Additionally, individual factors such as family dynamics, personality traits, skills, and abilities all play roles in how gynecologic oncologists navigate their specific healthcare role. Because of these factors, one thing is abundantly clear – the solution to burnout and depression in gynecologic oncology is not singular, nor is it readily apparent. Dr. Davidson explains, “Wellness and burnout are so multifactorial – there is not a quick fix. As individuals, there is only so much we can do to affect positive wellness-related change. It is going to take a larger, collaborative effort for sustainable solutions.”

The findings of this study highlight the need for continued examination of an industry gap that can be filled with resources that encourage conversation, connection, and support amongst healthcare professionals. “Now we are recognizing that despite our best individual efforts, it’s not enough – we need our institutions to collaborate with us,” says Dr. Davidson, suggesting that joint effort initiatives that promote wellness and prevent burnout may be what are needed to affect positive and long-lasting change.