WHO Recognizes Workplace Burnout as an “Occupational Phenomenon”

WHO Recognizes Workplace Burnout as an “Occupational Phenomenon”

WHO has recognized workplace burnout as an official workplace syndrome and in the ICD-11 code set this syndrome is documented using “QD85”.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) recently included job burnout in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD11) as an occupational phenomenon. The ICD-11 code set will go into effect in January 2022 and includes about 55,000 codes for injuries, diseases, and causes of death. Professional medical billing and coding companies have started training their coders to be ICD-11 ready.

Burnout is a key problem in the modern workplace, which impacts organizational costs, as well as employee health and well-being. In a public statement, the WHO makes it clear that burnout is not a medical condition in and of itself—but rather an “occupational phenomenon” affecting health. The burnout syndrome is included in the agency's handbook of medical diagnoses, which guides health professionals around the world.

Business Insider reports that the annual cost of burnout to the global economy has been estimated to be $323.4 billion. Also, a 2017 study published in Kronos highlights burnouts as a major workplace challenge. According to this survey, nearly half of HR leaders (46 percent) say employee burnout is responsible for up to half (20 to 50 percent, specifically) of their annual workforce turnover, while almost 10 percent blame employee burnout for causing more than 50 percent of workforce turnover each year.

WHO

classifies

workplace

burnout

in

ICD-11

as

"a

syndrome

conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed."This syndrome is distinguished by three factors: www.outsourcestrategies.com

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 feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion  increased

mental

distance from

one’s job,

or feelings of

negativism or cynicism related to one’s job, and  reduced professional efficacy Based on WHO’s recommendations, doctors can issue a diagnosis of burnout if a patient exhibits these three symptoms.

Burnout – Health Issues Employees can consider medical assistance to manage their burnout.

Most doctor visits are due to stress. According to the Mayo Clinic, burnout

at

the

workplace

can

also

lead

to

other

significant

consequences, including • Excessive stress • Fatigue • Insomnia • Sadness, anger or irritability • Alcohol or substance misuse • Heart disease • High blood pressure • Type 2 diabetes • Vulnerability to illnesses

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Key signs of job burnout include difficulty getting to work and trouble getting started, feeling disillusioned about the job, becoming impatient with colleagues, customers or clients and more.

To determine whether employees are suffering from workplace burnout, they can ask certain questions to themselves, recommended

by Mayo Clinic such as “Do you find it hard to concentrate?”, “Have your sleep habits changed?”, “Do you lack the energy to be consistently productive?” and more. If the answer to such questions is “yes”, they should consider job burnout as a possibility.

While dealing with burnouts, doctors should also rule out other conditions,

including

adjustment

disorder,

disorders

specifically

associated with stress, anxiety or fear-related disorders as well as mood disorders.

ICD-11 and ICD-10 Code for Workplace Burnout In ICD-11, burnout is coded using “QD85”. This code is listed under "Problems associated with employment or unemployment," which is further listed under "Factors influencing health status or contact with health services.”This chapter includes reasons for which people contact health services but that are not classified as illnesses or health conditions. Burnout in ICD-10 is coded as “Z73.0”, defined as a "state of vital exhaustion."ICD-10 placed this code under "Problems related to life-management difficulty," which then fell in the category "Persons encountering health services in other circumstances."In ICD-11, the definition is now more detailed, and this brings more attention to the

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problem of work burnout and pushes employers and businesses to find some effective solutions for it.

ICD-11 notes that burnout is specific to occupation and “should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life.�

Physicians reporting burnout, stress or depression can rely on reliable medical coding services provided by experienced medical coders, to reduce billing errors. Outsourcing complex coding tasks could also help avoid stress and burnout for physicians and their staff.

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