A recent study published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology has revealed significant levels of burnout among uveitis specialists in the United States, with 41% of surveyed physicians reporting symptoms of burnout and nearly 50% considered at risk. The cross-sectional survey, distributed through the American Uveitis Society (AUS) and Young Uveitis Society (YUS), used the validated Mini Z 2.0 tool to assess burnout levels.

The survey captured responses from 95 uveitis specialists, all of whom dedicate at least 40% of their clinical time to uveitis care. Among those who also practise in other ophthalmic subspecialties, 81% reported finding uveitis more stressful. Key contributors to burnout included inadequate support staff (p<0.00001), feelings of inadequate compensation (p=0.002), university-based practice settings (p=0.045) and regional shortages of uveitis specialists (p=0.005). Interestingly, burnout risk did not vary significantly with age, gender, years in practice or whether the physician independently managed immunosuppression.

The findings add to growing concerns around physician burnout, a problem that continues to affect healthcare professionals across specialties. According to the American Medical Association, although the rate of physician burnout has declined since its peak during the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 45% of US physicians still report at least one symptom of burnout.² This places them at a higher risk than the general working population.

This issue has been spotlighted across medical communities. For example, on our Visionary Voices podcast Dr Alfred Atanda recently shared his perspective on addressing physician burnout. As the medical field seeks solutions, this latest research highlights the need for systemic change, particularly in subspecialties such as uveitis, where stress levels remain high and resources can be limited.

References:

1. Thomas AS, Tsui E, Armbrust KR, et al. Burnout Among US Uveitis Specialists – An Assessment of Prevalence and Contributing Factors. Am J Ophth. 2025; June 28 (article in press).
2. What is physician burnout?. American Medical Association. Available at: www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/physician-health/what-physician-burnout (accessed 7 July 2025).

Disclosure: This article was created by the touchOPHTHALMOLOGY team utilizing AI as an editorial tool (ChatGPT (GPT-4o) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat.) The content was developed and edited by human editors. No funding was received in the publication of this article.

Citation: High rates of burnout among US uveitis specialists highlight challenges for ophthalmologists. touchOPHTHALMOLOGY.com. 7 July 2025.