Anthony Amoroso MD - Enhancing Physician Satisfaction and Wellbeing

 Interestingly, physician career satisfaction closely correlates with patient satisfaction within a geographic area. As healthcare executives and organizations rank patient experience as a top priority, quality and safety are essential issues.

 

Given the importance of physician satisfaction (and a dose of human compassion) to the patient experience, it is troublesome that dissatisfaction and burnout are on the rise. Several factors on the healthcare horizon that likely will exacerbate the trend towards physician dissatisfaction include demand by an aging population for more services, decreased autonomy for physicians due to changing healthcare systems, and reduced compensation because of healthcare reform.

Anthony Amoroso MD - Enhancing Physician Satisfaction and Wellbeing

 Steps to Improving Physician Wellbeing

 

Whether you are a physician, healthcare administrator, or involved community member, improving satisfaction and wellbeing should be your goal. Based on experience at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, take the following 7 effective actions to improve physician wellbeing at your organization:

 

Listen to your physicians. Ask your physicians what they need. Recognize that needs will vary by group, gender, and age. For example, the needs of veteran physicians are not the same as those of younger physicians.

 

Gather data on key variables affecting "climate" of the workplace. Research funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality demonstrated that certain variables - time pressure, lack of control of the workplace and schedule, degree of chaos, and lack of values alignment - correlated with physician burnout. Therefore, poll your physicians on these key variables.

 

Enhance meaning in physicians' work. Richard Gunderman, M.D., reports, "The key to combating burnout is not to reduce stress, but to promote professional fulfillment." Facilitate physicians' participating in activities in which they feel they are making a difference. To avoid burnout, ensure that clinicians devote at least 10% of their time to what they care about.

 

Reduce chaos in the workplace. Create more peace at work, by having enough staff, offering creative work schedules, providing good use of space, and emphasizing communication. Be cognizant that integrating more or new information technology can result in chaos!

 

Reduce time pressure and increase work control. A packed schedule and lack of physician control trigger burnout. Allot scheduled time for record-keeping and administrative tasks.

 

Support work-life balance. Flexible and part-time schedules are key. Having strategies to cover family illness, birth of children, and other personal needs is especially important in retaining physicians.

 

Participate in a physician wellbeing initiative. Adapt or create a program in your workplace to address physician needs. Institutions and individuals across the nation are taking responsibility to maintain and enhance physician wellbeing by providing programs including assessment of physician satisfaction and planned interventions to monitor and reduce emotional stress and work-related exhaustion.

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Anthony Amoroso MD - Fast Facts on Physician Assistants

Image
 Ever envision a scenario where the demand for health care is so high that there are not enough physicians to respond to? Such scenario can be a reality as reported by a study from Council on Graduate Medical Education. The study indicates that the increase of population after 2015 will cause a surge in demand for physicians. This may lead to a shortage of 85,000 medical doctors by 2020. Such scenario may seem terrifying but no longer be worrisome as one can now obtain health care from physician assistants, professionals who practised under a supervising physician. They can now offer services traditionally rendered only by physicians such as diagnostic and therapeutic care, physical exams, prescribing medications and others.   Although performing most tasks conventionally carried out by physicians, PAs need not undergo many years of education and training as that required for a physician. Instead, their training lasts for three years or less. After graduating from a PA pro...
Read more

Exploring the Benefits of Working with a Physician

Image
 Collaborating with a physician in a professional setting offers numerous benefits: Medical Expertise: Physicians undergo extensive education and training, making them experts in diagnosing and treating various medical conditions. Working with a physician provides access to this wealth of medical knowledge and experience. Collaborative Care: In healthcare settings, collaboration among different healthcare professionals, including physicians, is essential for providing comprehensive care. Each member of the team brings a unique skill set, contributing to a more holistic approach to patient well-being. Guidance and Mentorship: For individuals starting their careers in healthcare, working with a physician provides valuable guidance and mentorship. Physicians can share their experiences, offer insights, and help shape the professional development of their colleagues. Patient Care Coordination: Physicians often serve as central figures in coordinating patient care. They work with nu...
Read more

Anthony Amoroso MD - What Are The Physician Assistant Requirements

Image
 Becoming a physician assistant is a wise decision because the field is expected to grow and the individual, referred to as a PA, can expect an attractive salary. PA requirements include education, clinical practice, licensure, continuing education, and recertification. The PA is a higher-level occupation than the medical assistant, so the requirements are more numerous. In terms of education, physician assistant requirements entail completion of one of the accredited U.S. physician assistant programs. This educational program includes traditional classroom instruction as well as related work within a laboratory. The courses focus on sciences like human anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry in addition to subjects such as physical diagnosis and clinical medicine. The student is also required to engage in rotating clinical practice within areas like family medicine, surgery, internal medicine, and pediatrics.   There is also a licensing component to the PA requirements. When th...
Read more