Burnout in eyecare is no longer a silent issue. With over half of optometrists reporting symptoms of professional fatigue, the field is facing a mounting crisis that affects not only clinicians but also the quality of patient care. In a powerful episode of the Defocus Media podcast, Dr. Jennifer Lyerly and Dr. Kaleb Abbott, Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, unpack findings from a groundbreaking nationwide burnout study, Insights into burnout among optometrists in the United States: findings from a nationwide survey, involving over 1,400 optometrists. Their insights shine a light on operational realities, the mental health challenges of modern optometrists, and data-driven ways forward.

The conversation begins with Dr. Abbott sharing his personal journey—being booked six months out in a busy dry eye clinic while also juggling research and clinical trials. Feeling overwhelmed, he decided to investigate burnout in optometry and launched a large-scale study. The findings were staggering: 53.6% of optometrists reported burnout, compared to 37.8% of ophthalmologists pre-pandemic.

This growing concern resonates beyond optometry. According to JAMA Internal Medicine, nearly 48% of physicians report burnout, and over 26% plan to reduce clinical hours or leave their jobs. Burnout in healthcare isn’t just a personal issue—it leads to lower job satisfaction, increased turnover, malpractice risks, and decreased quality of care.

Burnout affects practitioners across the career spectrum, but mid-career optometrists—those practicing between 5 to 29 years—showed the highest levels. New graduates and professionals with over 30 years of experience were less likely to feel burned out. Optometrists reported higher rates than ophthalmologists, in part due to less variety in daily work and higher demands in customer-facing roles.

Burnout isn’t evenly distributed across all work environments. The highest levels were reported among doctors working in:

Meanwhile, academic optometry and private practices saw the lowest levels of burnout. These environments often offer more schedule flexibility, variety in daily responsibilities, and stronger peer support.

The data also showed that EHR systems were a major driver of burnout. Optometrists using EHRs—especially outside of clinic hours—were significantly more likely to report symptoms. Surprisingly, scribes and AI transcription tools didn’t meaningfully reduce burnout, indicating that more systemic solutions may be needed. Brief and efficient charting habits were associated with lower stress levels.

Interestingly, having children and being married to someone in healthcare were associated with lower burnout levels. These relationships often created a mental buffer, allowing professionals to disconnect from work stress once at home. Commutes over 60 minutes—typically seen as negative—were also linked to less burnout, possibly due to their role as decompression time.

Gender disparities were especially concerning. Female optometrists were nearly twice as likely to experience burnout as their male counterparts (60.9% vs. 40.6%). This gap persisted even after accounting for work hours, patient load, and family responsibilities. Additional findings showed women experienced more EHR stress, less alignment with workplace leadership, and more chaotic work environments.

The findings of this study offer not just sobering realities but also tangible solutions. Reducing clinical workload, protecting time outside of work, cultivating variety in practice, and creating support systems—especially for female practitioners—can improve both personal and professional outcomes. Dr. Abbott hopes his work will encourage not just self-awareness but systemic changes in workplace culture, leadership alignment, and practice design.

If you’re an eye care professional experiencing signs of burnout, take this research as a catalyst to pause and assess. Share these findings with colleagues. Advocate for more supportive clinical environments. And if you’re in a leadership position, be the change-maker—your team and your patients depend on it.