Getting ready to make the business case for physician well-being

Physicians know there’s a burnout crisis, but more can be done to show how it affects the bottom line. Here are ways to make the case for well-being.

By: Georgia Garvey , AMA Contributing News Writer

Physicians in the U.S. already know there’s a burnout crisis. Statistically, they’re even likely to be experiencing some symptoms of it themselves. But how can they make the business case to their health care organizations for meaningful and effective investments to combat the systemic drivers of burnout, translating philosophical agreement into solid financial support?

Burnout “is a huge burden to our national economy and certainly to our health care systems,” Kevin Hopkins, MD, a family doctor and senior physician adviser for practice transformation at the AMA, said during the AMA’s most recent “Saving Time: Practice Innovation Boot Camp.”

It’s estimated that burnout costs the U.S. health care system $4.6 billion a year, largely due to physician turnover and work-hour reductions. For every physician who leaves due to burnout, the related cost to the organization is  $500,000 to $1 million or more depending on the specialty.

“It's a large but partially avoidable expense to health care systems,” said Dr. Hopkins. “When you start to put it in the language of health system leaders, it begins to make a lot of sense to invest in well-being.”

While those figures can be persuasive, Dr. Hopkins and Jane F. Fogg, MD, MPH, an internist and senior physician adviser at the AMA, said more can be done to show how burnout affects the bottom line.

Find common language, value system

One key to making the business case for well-being is tailoring your message to the audience, said Dr. Hopkins.

“It's important for us, when we're having these conversations, to speak the language,” Dr. Hopkins said. “If I'm talking to our chief quality and safety officer, I might focus on the increased risk of serious safety events and lower quality outcomes which accompany physician burnout. If I’m talking with our chief financial officer, I’ll pivot to how the investment in relieving system drivers of burnout will improve efficiency, allowing us to see more patients and increase revenue while decreasing costs associated with attrition.”

Dr. Fogg said it’s also helpful to determine your listener’s priorities.

“Most of us tend to focus on the priorities of our department or specialty. We work in complex health care systems and must be aware of the priorities and perspectives of all stakeholders,” she said. “If a department leader appeals to the C-Suite for new resources, and they don’t realize that their leadership just made a difficult decision to reduce expenses, this misalliance can lead to distrust on both sides.”

Having informal discussions in advance of any pitches can help find alignment and increase your chances for success, Dr. Fogg said, noting “you want to figure out how your needs can also support the larger success of the organization.”

“For example, if the organization needs to grow and increase access for patients, what investments will support both patient access and physician well-being?” she said. “Providing scribes, documentation support, in-basket support and enhancing team-based care, all of these investments can give time back to the physician so they can focus on seeing patients, improve access, and have less administrative burden.”  

As the leader in physician well-being, the AMA is reducing physician burnout by removing administrative burdens and providing real-world solutions to help doctors rediscover the Joy in Medicine™. 

Be prepared, not bogged down

Dr. Fogg said it is helpful to come into discussions ready to give a full picture of the issue. For example, AMA STEPS Forward® offers an interactive toolkit on joy in medicine that can help doctors and physician leaders determine how much burnout costs their organization, which can aid in requests for project support or funding.

Continue reading in the full article for more tips on making a solid business case.

Physician burnout demands urgent action

Reducing burnout is essential to high-quality patient care and a sustainable health system. The AMA measures and responds to physician burnout, helping drive solutions and interventions.

Become a member and help the AMA tackle the key causes and provide relief for physicians. Join now.