A survey from AMA found that collaborative work environments can “help cut burnout and boost overall well-being” among physicians.
Around 18,000 responses from physicians across the U.S. were received across more than 100 health systems and organizations. The survey specifically targets performance indicators like “job satisfaction, job stress, burnout, intent to leave an organization, feeling valued by an organization, and total hours spent per week on work-related activities (known as ‘time spend’).”
For 2024, “43.2% of physicians reported experiencing at least one symptom of burnout, down from 48.2% in 2023 and 53% in 2022. Contributing to physician burnout are gaps in teamwork that reduce the ability to efficiently and appropriately delegate administrative tasks.” 26.5% of physicians “reported a lack of adequate doctors and support staff as a key stressor. There is an ongoing need for more nurses, medical assistants or documentation assistance to help reduce physician workload, according to the survey.” 13.8% of physician respondents also noted “excessive administrative tasks as another source of stress. Managing a high volume of inbox messages, calls, insurance claims and prescription refills are tasks that could be triaged. But the lack of support staff, time and payment for administrative work increases stress.”
Some common barriers provided as to why physicians don’t delegate more tasks like these include not having enough medical assistants or nurses; an institution’s culture or policies not supporting such delegation; and EHRs not being built for such delegation. The AMA writes, however, that “strong teamwork is essential for improving physician well-being because it fosters collaboration, shares workloads, and creates a supportive environment that cuts stress and burnout.”
