PHILADELPHIA (May 7, 2018) – Eric Tetzlaff, MHS, PA-C, DFAAPA, a physician assistant at Fox Chase Cancer Center, has received the AAPA 2018 Publishing Award. His paper, “National Study of Burnout and Career Satisfaction among Physician Assistants in Oncology: Implications for Team-Based Care,” appears in the Journal of Oncology Practice.
Tetzlaff’s paper examines factors that increase the risk of burnout in oncology PAs and offers new perspectives that may help PAs and the organizations in which they practice. He and his team conducted a national survey of PAs who specialize in oncology, asking about their personal and professional lives, and specifically their feelings about their wellness and work-life balance. He found that about a third of those who responded to his survey had experienced burnout.
The study identified poor relationships with a collaborating physician and an imbalance of time spent doing administrative work rather than caring for patients, as major contributors to burnout.
“Now that we have the data, we can begin to truly address the issue of burnout. The support of the AAPA is vital in spreading the word about this rising concern,” said Tetzlaff.”
The AAPA is the premier national society for PAs. Its Publishing Award recognizes a new clinical or research article that has contributed to the advancement of the PA profession. Tetzlaff will receive the award at a formal presentation during the AAPA annual conference May 19-23.