Meeting the imperative to improve physician well-being: assessment of an innovative program.
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.


METHODS
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.


METHODS
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.
Dunn
Patrick M
PM
Department of Medicine, Legacy Health System, 1015 NW 22nd Avenue, Portland, OR, USA. pdunn@lhs.org
Arnetz
Bengt B
BB
Christensen
John F
JF
Homer
Louis
L
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002983:Clinical Competence; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D017144:Focus Groups; D006123:Group Practice / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D007857:Leadership; D009922:Oregon; D015279:Organizational Culture; D010815:Physician Impairment / Q000523:psychology*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017064:Process Assessment, Health Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013597:Systems Analysis