Addressing Burnout in Primary Care

A report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) examines possible solutions to physician burnout in the primary care sector.

By Jenna Hughes

Physician burnout has been a persistent challenge as health systems continue to seek normalcy post-pandemic. The fatigue that physicians face is exceptionally high within the primary care sector. Busy workdays, a wide variety of healthcare issues to treat, and increased patient volume have led to emotional distress and exhaustion for primary care physicians.

So, what steps can healthcare leaders take to address primary care physician burnout in their practices?

Assessing burnout

Healthcare industry leaders must first recognize the indicators of burnout within a practice to address it. High turnover rates, frequent absences and prevalence of sick days, and low ratings on wellness surveys are all signs of physician burnout.

According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), measuring burnout in an organization includes the use of assessment tools, referred to as burnout inventory tests, developed specifically for the healthcare industry. The test results can assist staff in developing strategies to address physician burnout.

Strategies to address burnout

Once the magnitude of burnout throughout an organization is understood, strategies that promote a healthy and productive workplace culture can be implemented.

Strategies such as reducing administrative workload, implementing team-based and integrated care, promoting work life balance, cultivating social connections and wellness, and aligning incentives to support staff well-being all help to address feelings of burnout among physicians.

Healthcare staff spend more time than ever on administrative tasks, which reduces total time to actually treat patients. According to AHRQ, “half of a primary care physicians’ total work time is spent on computer work outside of patient visits. In addition, nearly half of family physicians’ total Electronic Health Record (EHR) time is spent on clerical and administrative tasks such as documentation, order entry, billing and coding, and security issues (i.e., usernames and passwords), indicating that a reduction in administrative tasks has great potential to free up clinicians’ time.”

Additionally, team-based care practices such as team huddles, previsit planning, and real-time documentation helps to promote a work plan so physicians can successfully complete workloads.

“Healthcare leaders should think about how to determine priorities as an organization and how to know whether a change is an improvement and conduct small tests of a change before rolling it out more broadly,” according to AHRQ.

Physician well-being

Other tactics, such as promoting work-life balance, cultivating social connections, and promoting a culture of wellness can also ensure physician well-being.

“In order for healthcare staff to effectively care for others, their own physical and mental health needs must first be met. Providing opportunities and resources for staff to engage in self-care strategies to prevent or mitigate burnout can complement practice-wide initiatives to promote a culture of wellness,” according to AHRQ.

Finally, reassessing staff incentives throughout a medical organization can reduce burnout. According to AHRQ, “Organizations should review their current compensation practices as well as other rewards and incentives that are in place, to ensure they do not encourage overworking or other unhealthy behaviors. Carefully aligning policies to support staff wellbeing is a clear indication that the organization is committed to a culture of wellness.”

Eliminating or redesigning payment policies that lead clinicians to feeling overworked, using rewards such as gift cards and catered lunches, and developing policies encouraging staff to raise ethical concerns all contribute to a healthier, more efficient workplace environment where staff feel supported.