Demanding paces and pressures of time can lead to Physicians burnout. The definition of burnout is “a long-term stress reaction marked by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and a lack of sense of personal accomplishment.” Source AAFP – Healthcare environments need to look at the bigger picture and consider the safety of the patient and Anesthesiologist along with the productivity of your staff and prevent physician burnout.
In the past, we worked with a private practice group that lost a hospital contract because of several factors, one main factors was not paying salaries according to market value to Anesthesiologists. Candidates that were interviewing loved the practice but were turning the practice down because of compensation and it was putting on added stress on the current anesthesiologists in the group contributing to the physician burnout. Eventually the group was not able to staff the site to take care of the volume of surgeries. Don’t let this happen to you. You want your Anesthesiologists happy in their career and providing great patient care and being compensated well.
Another concern is making sure they are not being burned out and they are making the right decisions in the operating room. Patient care is first and you do not want a major malpractice suit.
These are the symptoms to look out for when evaluating your physicians, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduction of accomplishments.
Focus on building a healthier workplace for providers and patients. The primary goal should always be to provide high-quality care.
Here are a few ideas that could help.
1. Improving Communication
Provide monthly meetings to go over any concerns. Talk about improving efficiency, give the staff a survey to review the following month. What are the concerns of your current team? When you get the answer, address it immediately. The only way to run a successful practice is to be attentive to your environment and prevent physician burnout. You want to create an environment that allows the providers to contribute to the change. This will lead to success and productivity.
2. Changing Workflow
Have the medical assistance enter the EMR track forms and do additional administrative work to allow the doctors more face-to-face time with the patients. This should allow for a decrease in time pressures, increase work flow and a less chaotic environment. Evaluate your staffing and add more team members to help with the volume of cases. Do you need part-time help? Full-time help? Get them hired and pay them market value. This will help with productivity and you will have happier employees.
In summary, if you are witnessing your physicians having poor interactions with patients and decreased executive functions; maybe it’s time to take a step back and look to see what is going on to alleviate burnout. Additionally, to recruit additional providers to help the practice improve working conditions. Call us today, let KTE Services help you, and let’s work together. You can reach us at 904-940-5415 or KTE. We are looking forward to hearing from you.
Could you imagine the endless possibilities in your practice if you took the preventative measures to prevent physician burnout?
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