By Mariah Taylor

Four-day workweeks are starting to gain traction among nursing leaders. But physicians have been hesitant to embrace flexible schedules for several reasons.

Physician burnout has been high the last few years, costing the U.S. healthcare system approximately $4.6 billion annually due to employee turnover, productivity loss and decreased patient safety and satisfaction, experts told the publication.

The four-day workweek could address some of these issues, however, physicians have experienced a "flexibility stigma" that has stopped many from supporting that approach, the report said. Physicians may worry that a flexible schedule could negatively affect their reputation, grant funding, hospital workflow or professional relationships.

To overcome this, hospitals and leadership could give physicians more days off without cutting pay, showcase the benefits for physicians, patients and healthcare organizations and leverage technology to help fill the gap.

"By reducing the number of workdays, companies can save on overhead costs such as electricity, heating, and office supplies," Francisco Torres, MD, the health and wellness director at Florida Spine Institute in Clearwater, said. "Additionally, employees who work fewer hours tend to be more productive, leading to increased profits for the company. The reduced stress and improved work-life balance can also lead to lower healthcare costs and decreased absenteeism."

Providing flexible physician scheduling could help systems stay competitive and have more productive staff.