Impact of burnout on empathy Open Access PDF Download Burnout—a syndrome that is characterised by emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and low sense of personal accomplishment—has been associated with a higher frequency of medical errors, lapses in professionalism, impeded learning, problematic alcohol use and suicidal ideation. Burnout is important because it can damage doctors and impair patient care. Burnout is defined as “a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion that results from long-term involvement in work situations that are emotionally demanding.”1 Many variables contribute to the development of burnout, such as long hours of work, work-home conflicts, resourcing, managerialism and interpersonal relationships.2,3