Burnout Overall, 44% of physicians experience burnout, reports the American Medical Association. Those in the fields of urology, neurology and physical medicine/rehab have the highest amounts of stress. When doctors become overwhelmed, their performance suffers. Healthcare professionals also do not get enough sleep, a significant factor in preventing errors. Poor recordkeeping Interestingly, the top reason for burnout was "bureaucratic tasks" such as filling out paperwork and charts. While this duty is more complicated than necessary, it is, nonetheless, vital to complete paperwork accurately and thoroughly, as poor recordkeeping is a leading source of medical malpractice. Sometimes, it is the fault of using different computer systems and not connecting them for easier transference of patient information. Knowledge gaps As educated as doctors are, it is impossible for them to know everything. General practitioners must know a little about a lot of medical topics and cannot delve deeper into every area. That is what specialists are for, but even they are only knowledgeable in their respective fields. It takes a team to properly diagnose and treat patients with rare or complicated diseases. Unfortunately, doctors sometimes think they know the answer and do not refer patients to an expert. This is why it is vital for patients to seek a second opinion.