Toward an understanding of healthcare professionals’ burnout in telehealth: Two literature reviews and an organizing framework

Objective: Although numerous studies have identified antecedents of burnout in healthcare professionals (HCPs), these studies mostly focused on traditional, in-person medical contexts. It remains unclear whether these antecedents also manifest in the telehealth context, and what other contributing factors, unique to the latter, should be considered. To address this gap, we sought to extrapolate known antecedents of burnout from the in-person context to the telehealth context. Methods: The research consisted of two literature reviews. We performed an umbrella review to summarize the evidence on antecedents of burnout among HCPs providing in-person care. We then systematically reviewed research on HCPs' experiences working in a telehealth context, to identify characteristics of telehealth that might affect burnout. Results: Synthesis of the two reviews resulted in a variable-level categorization of factors that might affect HCP burnout in telehealth. These factors were further organized into a broader framework, distinguishing among four domains of influence: HCP user, task, technology, and organization. Conclusion: Whereas certain antecedents of HCP burnout likely carry from the in-person context into the telehealth context, the latter introduces additional, unique antecedents of burnout. Practice implications: The organizing framework can help to guide assignment decisions and training programs of HCPs.