FairShare evidence summary
Burnout in anesthesiology
Original source published:
The bottom line
Burnout in anesthesiology is a long-recognized, structural problem — not a recent anomaly — with drivers and consequences documented across three decades of literature. For leaders, this argues for treating burnout as a persistent system risk that needs standing countermeasures rather than one-off responses to a crisis. Because the underlying studies are heterogeneous and end in 2014, use it to frame the problem, not to size today's prevalence.
What the source found
State-of-the-art literature review of 45 articles identified through MEDLINE and Scopus searches covering 1980–2014; synthesized anesthesiology burnout risk factors and clinical consequences.
Limitations and applicability
Literature review without a formal quality appraisal or meta-analysis; includes heterogeneous study designs and predates COVID-era escalation.
Population and setting
Anesthesiologists (international)
Used in FairShare guides
About this evidence
Research question / practical issue
How does this source inform Understanding Anesthesia Burnout for the population it studied?
Study design, evidence tier, and source class
Peer Reviewed Narrative Review · synthesis source · evidence tier 1
Source type: Peer Reviewed Narrative Review · synthesis · Evidence tier 1
Topics: Understanding Anesthesia Burnout
Audience: Anesthesiologists