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DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1811265
Burnout among Oncologists in India: Challenges in Outpatient Department Practice and the Way Forward
Funding None.
Running a cancer outpatient department (OPD) in India poses significant challenges for oncologists. The rising incidence of cancer, coupled with an inadequate oncologist-to-patient ratio and the concentration of oncology centers in urban areas, results in long working hours for oncologists. This situation is particularly prevalent in government or trust-run cancer hospitals, where a large proportion of cancer patients seek treatment due to financial constraints, since many Indians lack insurance coverage. It is not uncommon for a single oncologist to attend upwards of 50 patients in a single OPD session, extending working hours well beyond the standard 8-hour day, sometimes late into the evening. Considering these challenges, it is crucial to address the emotional toll and decision-making fatigue experienced by oncologists in India as they navigate the complexities of managing cancer patients.
Ethical Approval
The manuscript has been written in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.
Publikationsverlauf
Artikel online veröffentlicht:
20. August 2025
© 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
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