ACC House Call: Burnout and COVID-19 with Laxmi Mehta, MD

If the issue of burnout was on its way to the forefront of medicine before coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, the only matter preceding it at this point is the pandemic itself.

Already a prominent issue, the stress facing healthcare professionals throughout the country is now a topic of dominating mainstream media. Rightfully so, many are fearful of what the long-lasting impact of the pandemic on clinicians might be years from now.

A recent study from Laxmi Mehta, MD, director of preventative cardiology and women’s cardiovascular health at Ohio State University, at ACC.20/WCC examined rates of burnout among cardiologists. While the study was completed before the COVID-19, it offered valuable insight into how burnout is impacting the field.

We spoke to Mehta about the results of that study in a recent ACC House Call and after that discussion was complete, we asked for her thoughts on how the ongoing outbreak might impact burnout in cardiology and medicine as a whole.