Include Providers and Reduce Burnout
I’m going to take an informed leap. Ready?
If you do not respect the time and space for providers to discuss changes, your quality improvement efforts will falter…you will contribute to provider burnout…you will ultimately lose your providers.
Am I being ridiculous? You decide, but research shows that a facilitative leadership style that involves providing direction without taking control reduces burnout.
Often administration concludes that the effort of proactively including providers lengthens time to complete change efforts. It may even highlight issues with data integrity or uncover unexpected provider push back on the intended change, even if the change is unavoidable. But should these considerations alter leadership’s approach to provider engagement?
“providers in clinics with leaders that strongly support clinic change efforts ensure that providers have the time and space necessary to discuss changes to improve care, and promote a more enjoyable work environment where things can be accomplished led to less burnout.”
If we value our providers and are concerned with retention, isn’t this respectful inclusive effort worth it? In my last LinkedIn post, I spoke of primary care providers not getting lunch and urged for readers to consider an empathetic approach to their providers to reduce burnout and help retention. But it is more than empathy, it is respect.
In my e-book, “Empathetic Strategies for Providers in Tech-Enabled Care”, I devote an entire chapter to person-centric change management. A small teaser to the chapter is covered in this blog and I am asking you to consider how facilitative leadership can reduce burnout in tech-enabled care. If you are a healthcare consultant or project manager leading a tech-enabled change, ask yourself how you:
· FIND time and space for providers to share their ideas, input and reactions
· SHARE options with “sense-making” data discussions
· CONTINUE to involve providers in monitoring outcomes & optimization efforts
Here are some planning specifics for change management:
Beginning project: Prepare design sessions that include providers in the original project scope. Consider all patient facing providers: physicians, NPs, PAs, nurses and administrative staff. Consider all provider input and document individual reactions to the project structure and accountability.
Middle project: Consider providers time and respected space in their schedules to share data and measurement. Organize data to highlight insights for quick decision-making purposes. Respect providers’ effort with project level group discussions focused on provider accountability and not generic project updates.
End/on-going: Celebrate project launch and quality improvement achievements. Request providers share patient stories that highlight the value of the project. Continue to monitor change and share on-going results in a provider-centric way.
Respect Providers in Healthcare
As we respect and empathize with our providers and facilitate their inputs, we lead through motivation and we foster the team dynamics between administrative leadership, providers and quality improvement SMEs that foster successful healthcare transformation.
TAKE THE TIME!
Reduce provider burnout.
The correlation between successful quality improvement and reduced provider burnout is proven.
For more information, request my e-book, Empathetic Strategies for Providers in Tech-Enabled Care, by emailing me at Amberly@pomwomen.com
For help in coaching leadership staff in facilitative leadership style or help in leading a healthcare quality design session, email me at info@POMwomen.com with your needs.
Resources
1. Quigley, D. D., Slaughter, M. E., Qureshi, N., & Hays, R. D. (2024, January 25). Associations of Primary Care Provider Burnout with quality improvement, patient experience measurement, clinic culture, and job satisfaction - journal of general internal medicine. SpringerLink. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11606-024-08633-w