Abstract
BACKGROUND
Improving physician health and performance is critical to successfully meet the challenges facing health systems that increasingly emphasize productivity. Assessing long-term efficacy and sustainability of programs aimed at enhancing physician and organizational well-being is imperative.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether data-guided interventions and a systematic improvement process to enhance physician work-life balance and organizational efficacy can improve physician and organizational well-being.
DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS
From 2000 to 2005, 22–32 physicians regularly completed 3 questionnaires coded for privacy. Results were anonymously reported to physicians and the organization. Data-guided interventions to enhance physician and organizational well-being were built on physician control over the work environment, order in the clinical setting, and clinical meaning.
MEASUREMENTS
Questionnaires included an ACP/ASIM survey on physician satisfaction, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), and the Quality Work Competence (QWC) survey.
RESULTS
Emotional and work-related exhaustion decreased significantly over the study period (MBI, p = 0.002; QWC, p = 0.035). QWC measures of organizational health significantly improved initially and remained acceptable and stable during the rest of the study.
CONCLUSIONS
A data-guided program on physician well-being, using validated instruments and process improvement methods, enhanced physician and organizational well-being. Given the increases in physician burnout, organizations are encouraged to urgently create individual and systems approaches to lessen burnout risk.
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Acknowledgement
We thank Jennifer Basada for her dedication to the overall coordination and management of the Legacy Clinic Physician Well-Being Program. We also thank Charlene Tucker for her help in manuscript preparation. Finally, we thank Jonathan Avery for his guidance in developing the program; Malcolm McAninch, John Teller, Gwen Grewe, and Marylee Morris for the implementation; and Keith Marton and Stephen R. Jones for critically reviewing the manuscript and for encouraging a nurturing environment to enhance physician health and well-being.
Potential Financial Conflicts of Interest
QWC is a commercial product marketed and sold by the Sweden-based company Springlife AB, Bengt B. Arnetz is a majority owner of this company.
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APPENDIX
APPENDIX
ACP/ASIM Physician Well-being Survey Instrument (Adapted with permission from a survey developed by Deborah Kasman, MD, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, on behalf of the ACP/ASIM)
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Dunn, P.M., Arnetz, B.B., Christensen, J.F. et al. Meeting the Imperative to Improve Physician Well-being: Assessment of an Innovative Program. J GEN INTERN MED 22, 1544–1552 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-007-0363-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-007-0363-5