Healthcare Burnout And How To Treat It
Joy MilkowskiChief Marketing OfficerDataFile Technologies
As Chief Marketing Officer at DataFile, Joy gets the opportunity to speak with busy, focused healthcare leaders every day. The passion and care for others that permeates healthcare can, too often, lead to burnout. Left unchecked, that stress can become a vicious cycle that results in (ironically) health problems, employee turnover and lower patient engagement. Joy feels there is no group of professionals more deserving of having their cup filled and the spirit renewed than healthcare professionals, and she's excited at the opportunity to offer thoughts and strategies for staying healthy in healthcare.
SPEAKING TODAY
REPORT BURNOUT IN HEALTHCARE 1
73%
Chart Title
FELT LESS ENGAGED WITH PATIENTS 2
1/31 MGMA 20182 Medscape 2018
WHAT WE’LL COVER
What burnout looks like in healthcare
The many contributors to burnout
The various effects (and costs) of burnout
How you can measure burnout
What you can do to battle and
ultimately conquer burnout
POSSIBLE CAUSES OF BURNOUT4
Lack of control
Unclear job expectations
Dysfunctional workplace dynamics
Extremes of activity
Lack of social support
Work-life imbalance
Many factors contribute to burnout in healthcare…
Increasing workload, doing more with less
Speed requirements and throughput
Misalignment with personal purpose and mission
Weight of outcomes
Multi-tasking
Technology and applications like EHRs
Policies, procedures and documentation
CAUSES OF HEALTHCARE BURNOUT
ALL TOO OFTEN WE TRY TO MASK BURNOUT
FACES OFBURNOUT
Fatigue“Checking out”Sick daysIrritabilityMistakes/errorsExcusesGossip
WHAT CAUSESBURNOUT?
Too many bureaucratic tasks3 Spending too many hours at work3
Lack of respect from administrators, employers, colleagues or staff3
Increasing computerization ofpractice (EHRs)
Insufficient compensation Lack of control/autonomy
Feeling like just a cog in a wheel Lack of respect from patients
Government regulations Decreasing reimbursements
Emphasis on profits over patients
Maintenance of Certificationrequirements
COMMON CONTRIBUTORS TO BURNOUT
THE EFFECTS OFBURNOUT
THE EFFECTS OF BURNOUT
• Increased turnover• Increased sick days• Decreased productivity• Decreased customer
satisfaction• Increased risk of
mistakes and liability• Increased chance of illicit
activities
IntangibleTangible
• Low morale• Decreased tolerance for
adversity• Lack of respect for
patients and colleagues• Spreading negative
outlook (burnout can spread)
• Reputation damage
Turnover Costs 6-9 Months’ Salary
THE COST OF BURNOUT
Every time a business must replace an employee, it can cost six to nine months’ salary on average.
So, for a position that pays $40,000 a year, an employer could pay anywhere from $20,000 to $30,000 to fill the role.
Source: The Society for Human Resource Management
Businesses spend 16-20% of annual salaries for recruitment and training costs.
Source: The Center for American Progress
16-20% Recruitment Cost
QUANTIFY THE BURNOUT
Maslach Burnout Inventory – Human Services
Survey
DataFile Burnout Quiz
Other free assessment tools
Employee feedback, e.g. 1:1 meetings, surveys
Business measures
QUANTIFY THE BURNOUT
Negative cycle with no end
Patient satisfaction
Staffing & engagement issues
Paperwork backlog & errors
LEADERSHIP BURNOUT"Interestingly, people who are really invested in their work … can be more susceptible to burnout than other people… the higher up you get in an organization, the more isolated you tend to become.”
Dr. David Ballard, American Psychological Association (APA) Center for Organizational Excellence
Score Comment
15-18 No burnout in sight! Nice job.
19-32 You may have a few signs of burnout that may need to be looked at.
33-49Be careful! You may be right on the edge of burnout, especially if you had a few higher numbers.
50-59You’re in significant danger of burnout. You may want to make some changes quickly before things can get worse.
60-75It is highly likely that you have a burnout issue within your office. Do something about this urgently!
BURNOUT QUIZ RESULTS
STRATEGIES FORMANAGING BURNOUT
ALIGN JOB DUTIES WITH PURPOSE & STRENGTHS
GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT ROLES
SOLUTIONS FOR PEOPLE
Increasing workload, doing more with
less
Speed requirements and throughput
Misalignment with personal purpose
and mission
Weight of outcomes
Multi-tasking
Technology and applications like EHRs
Policies, procedures and
documentation
Desire for control
Introvert vs Extrovert
Ability to adapt
Preferred pace
Attention to detail
Need for structure
MANY USE CASES FOR ASSESSMENTS
Pre-screening tool
Hiring decisions
Training & learning styles
Performance coaching & improvement
Solving friction between employees
Management ability
CELEBRATING (& MANAGING) INDIVIDUALS
EVALUATE YOURCULTURE
Employee surveys
Peer reviews
Exit interviews
Patient feedback
Empowering people to participatein your operations makes them more likely to invest positive energy into your culture.
EMPOWER YOURPEOPLE
Advisory group
Brainstorming sessions
Town hall meetings
Change committees
ADDRESS EXCESSIVE
WORK LOADS
MANAGINGWORKLOADS
Add structure/automation wherever possible
Keep a parking lot of ideas
Encourage your team to do a gut check
Get them help where you can
ALWAYS FILLYOUR CUP
BATTLING BURNOUT A REVIEW
Quantify the scope of the burnout
Align your people with their roles and responsibilities
Continually assess your culture
Ask for input and empower your team to help
Address excessive workloads and skill gaps
Prioritize yourself and your energy as a leader
of employees are dealing with stress at work;1 73% of healthcare employees report being burned out;2 56% report bureaucratic tasks like charting and
paperwork are contributing to burnout.3
JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN DOESN’T MEAN YOU SHOULD
Get help with your document filing and records requests, including non-
standard requests like payer chart reviews, subpoenas, etc. – and a lot
more!
Rely on steady support and fast fulfillment
Offload the requestor calls, busywork and inconsistent volumes
Get a standardized process to promote accuracy
Measure results and make adjustments where you need it
Transfer the HIPAA liability
JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN DOESN’T MEAN YOU SHOULD
Get help with your document filing and records requests, including non-
standard requests like payer chart reviews, subpoenas, etc. – and a lot
more!
Rely on steady support and fast fulfillment
Offload the requestor calls, busywork and inconsistent volumes
Get a standardized process to promote accuracy
Measure results and make adjustments where you need it
Transfer the HIPAA liability
CLOSING NOTES
To get a copy of our white paper on burnout, email us: [email protected]
Follow us on social media!Twitter: @ DataFileTechLinkedIn: @DataFileTechnologiesFacebook: @DataFileTechnologies
Get a free cost analysis to see what help really costs compared to dealing with burnout. The savings may surprise you!
SOURCES
1ComPsych, 2017. StressPulse.
2MGMA, 2018. Guarding Against Burnout in Your Practice. https://www.mgma.com/data/data-stories/guarding-against-burnout-in-your-practice
3Peckham, C., 2018. Medscape National Physician Burnout & Depression Reporthttps://www.medscape.com/slideshow/2018lifestyle-burnout-depression-6009235#3
4PMayo Clinic Staff, 2018. Job burnout: How to spot it and take actionhttps://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/burnout/art-20046642
HIM SOLUTIONSRECORDS RELEASE
FORMS COMPLETION
DOCUMENT FILING
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Focus on your patients. We’ll do the rest!
People-powered technology
Leverage automation and get
human follow-up where you
need it
Dedicated
Proactive
Aligned to your workflows
Timely
Bundle with our full suite of
HIM services
DATAFILE TECHNOLOGIESLEVERAGES THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
Expertise in EHR technology
HOW DATAFILE ALLEVIATES BURDEN AND COSTOF MANUAL ADMIN TASKS
Standardizing processes across all staff
Training ongoingefficiencies into staff