August 20, 2024

Addressing Physician Well-Being: Strategies for Integrating Wellness into Healthcare Organizations

By Tammie Smeltz, RPLU, Content Marketing Manager

Physicians are often seen as pillars of strength, the calm in the storm of illness. Yet, behind the stethoscopes and scrubs lies a growing concern: the well-being of healthcare providers themselves. The demanding nature of the medical profession, coupled with increasing administrative burdens and the weight of patient care, has led to alarming rates of burnout, depression and even suicide among physicians.

August is National Wellness Month, the perfect time to raise awareness of this critical issue and explore strategies for fostering a healthier and more sustainable healthcare environment.

Understanding the Root Causes

To effectively address physician well-being, we must first understand the factors contributing to the problem. Some key contributors include:

Intense workload: Long hours, on-call shifts and heavy patient loads can lead to physical and mental exhaustion.
Administrative burden: Excessive paperwork and documentation can detract from patient care and increase stress levels.
Emotional stress: Dealing with critically ill patients and their families can take a heavy emotional toll.
Lack of support: Inadequate resources, lack of recognition and a culture of blame can contribute to burnout.

In the field of medicine, wellness is not only a personal responsibility but also a professional one. Healthcare providers must be afforded time to practice self-care and engage in meaningful activities outside the work environment in order to provide exceptional patient care. But with all the demands in the field of medicine, how can physicians carve out time to focus on their own well-being? The American Medical Association (AMA) recommends starting at the top.

The AMA’s Wellness-Centered Leadership Playbook Cultivating a Culture of Wellness Within Your Organization was developed to assist healthcare organizations in creating an environment that promotes self-care, compassion and professional growth.

According to the AMA, if you create a culture of wellness in your organization, you will be on your way to achieving the “Quadruple Aim” of healthcare. The Quadruple Aim includes improved patient care, clinician well-being and lower costs, which all result in better patient outcomes.

Wellness-centered leadership is necessary to achieve these goals. Leaders should embrace certain behaviors that will allow members of the healthcare team to feel included and informed. They should also support professional development, ask team members for input and express appreciation for their staff on a regular basis.

The playbook shares five strategies to consider when implementing wellness into a healthcare organization.

Let’s look at the five strategies:

Build Trust: Trust is essential throughout the entire organization. Clear communication is essential between physicians and administrators, and physicians and other healthcare providers, including nursing staff, physicians and patients. Leaders should also be aware of the various available channels of communication and the tone and style of messaging. The AMA has developed The Building Bridges Between Practicing Physicians and Administrators toolkit to assist in improving relationships between administrators and physicians.
Give and Receive Feedback: It is important to celebrate accomplishments, as well as give constructive feedback. Instead of waiting for an annual review to provide feedback, other options include providing feedback in the moment or setting aside time monthly or quarterly to discuss achievements and situations that may need attention. The AMA has created The Appreciative Inquiry Toolkit which provides a number of approaches to take when giving feedback.
Prioritize Clinical Well-Being: Physician well-being is a difficult problem to tackle but must be addressed to decrease physician burnout. A recent study revealed that almost two-thirds of doctors have experienced at least one symptom of burnout since the COVID-19 pandemic. Physician burnout was on the rise before the pandemic, but the numbers have escalated tremendously post-pandemic. The AMA has identified seven domains that help address physician burnout. Some of the AMA’s recommendations include capping patient volumes for individual physicians, making every effort to ensure proper staffing and providing opportunities for socialization, such as organizing events outside of the work environment and providing a common space in the workplace for healthcare providers to connect with their colleagues. The AMA has created several toolkits to promote clinician well-being such as Creating the Organizational Foundation for Joy in Medicine toolkit and The Physician Burnout toolkit.

The AMA also recommends adding a new C-suite position to your organization, a Chief Wellness Officer (CWO). Instead of working with healthcare providers on an individual level, the CWO is responsible for improving well-being on an organizational level. The AMA’s Chief Wellness Officer Road Map provides nine steps for leading change as a CWO.

Dr. Gaurava Agarwal is the CWO at Northwestern Medicine and the recipient of the AMA’s 2023 Gold Level Recognition for their Joy of Medicine Program. Dr. Agarwal incorporated the AMA’s Joy of Medicine Program in 2019. Since that time, he has seen a 25% decrease in physician burnout at his facility. Additionally, as we all know, statistics show the percentage of female physicians who suffer from burnout is much higher than their male counterparts. Under Dr. Agarwal’s direction, the gender gap at his facility was reduced by 66%. Learn more about Dr. Agarwal’s experience implementing this program here.

Make Unit-Level Changes Effectively: The AMA recommends a few things to keep in mind once the foundation is set to incorporate a well-being plan into your organization. With all the demands placed on healthcare providers, start with taking tasks off their plate. For examples of how to reduce the amount of unnecessary work physicians face, check out the AMA’s Getting Rid of Stupid Stuff toolkit. When implementing change, involving physicians who provide patient care is critical. Frontline providers are typically the most at risk for burnout and are more affected by change. Lastly, capitalize on easy wins. Sometimes, the smallest change has the most significant impact.
Special Focus Areas: One area to focus on when addressing well-being in your organization is racial health and equity. Cultivating racial health and equity starts within the organization. Does your organization have a DEI initiative? Do all your employees understand the difference in preventative screening rates and treatment recommendations for a diverse patient population? Health equity is a continuous, long-term goal. The AMA provides several resources to address health inequity and social determinants of health, such as The Importance of Screening for Social Determinants of Health and Implementing Innovative Solutions with an Equity Lens.

Addressing physician well-being can create a healthier, more sustainable healthcare system that benefits both patients and providers. It’s time to prioritize the people who care for us. Physician health and well-being have been an ongoing problem with no clear solution. Implementing change from an organizational standpoint may be a step in the right direction.

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This document is for general purposes only and should not be construed as medical or legal advice. This document is not comprehensive and does not cover all possible factual circumstances. Because the facts applicable to your situation may vary, or the laws applicable in your jurisdiction may differ, please contact your attorney or other professional advisors for any questions related to legal, medical or professional obligations, the applicable state or federal laws or other professional questions.