Listening Campaign: Engage Physicians to Uncover Sources of Burnout

Authors

• Sarah Richards, MD, FACP; Nebraska Medicine
• Bethany Lowndes, PhD, MPH, CPE; Nebraska Medicine

See the toolkit PDF for complete author listing information.

This toolkit:

1. Outlines how to design a structured Listening Campaign
2. Provides a framework to prioritize and implement improvement work
3. Describes ways to overcome common obstacles to engaging both leaders and physicians in improvement work

More than half of all physicians in the United States are experiencing professional burnout, which affects the experience, quality, and safety of care patients receive. Burnout can have devastating effects on physician well-being—forcing some to leave the profession altogether. Health care organizations increasingly seek to measure and quantify physician burnout with surveys such as the Mini-Z or the Maslach Burnout Inventory.

While surveys can help highlight general areas of concern and monitor trends over time, they often do not provide the personal narratives behind the issues that are so key for generating effective changes. Individual physicians and physician groups need a systematic yet practical process to voice their stressors and propose improvement ideas so they will feel heard.

One method to solicit, process, and act on clinician feedback is to develop a Listening Campaign, which comprises 1 or more Listening Sessions between a physician facilitator and a group of practicing physicians.

Learn how to engage physicians to uncover and address sources of burnout with your own Listening Campaign in the complete toolkit PDF.

This toolkit includes 9 practical tools to help you uncover and address sources of physician burnout. Check out the complete Toolkit PDF to see how these tools fit into the 7 STEPS to successfully carry out a Listening Campaign, or click on the links below for immediate access to each tool:

• Listening Campaign Presentation for Leadership (PPTX)
• Sample Follow-Up Email to Leaders (DOCX)
• Sample Agenda Email (DOCX)
• Listening Session Example Presentation (PPTX)
• Individual Reflection Worksheet (DOCX)
• Listening Session Evaluation Form (DOCX)
• Sample Recap and Summary Email (DOCX)
• Summary Report Outline (DOCX)
• Example Summary Report (DOCX)

Disclaimer: AMA STEPS Forward® content is provided for informational purposes only, is believed to be current and accurate at the time of posting, and is not intended as, and should not be construed to be, legal, financial, medical, or consulting advice. Physicians and other users should seek competent legal, financial, medical, and consulting advice. AMA STEPS Forward® content provides information on commercial products, processes, and services for informational purposes only. The AMA does not endorse or recommend any commercial products, processes, or services and mention of the same in AMA STEPS Forward® content is not an endorsement or recommendation. The AMA hereby disclaims all express and implied warranties of any kind related to any third-party content or offering. The AMA expressly disclaims all liability for damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on AMA STEPS Forward® content.