Physician Health

AMA Physician Well-Being Program

Updated | 3 Min Read
Practice Transformation: Research, Measure, Act, Recognize, Convene

Introduction

The AMA is committed to making the patient-physician relationship more valued than paperwork, technology an asset and not a burden, and physician burnout a thing of the past. 

The AMA Physician Well-Being Program empowers physicians with the knowledge, tools and resources to succeed in their chosen model of practice, delivering high-quality patient care while being professionally satisfied and financially secure.


Research

The AMA grounds its physician well-being work in research on topics such as practice transformation, physician burnout, professional satisfaction, digital health, and augmented intelligence (AI) (PDF). This research helps identify system-level drivers associated with burnout, consequences when burnout is not addressed, and strategies organizations can implement for effective and sustainable changes in the well-being of their physicians and care teams.


Measure

The Organizational Biopsy® is an assessment tool and set of services developed by the AMA to support health systems in comprehensively measuring and taking action to improve the health of their organization. The Organizational Biopsy provides a comprehensive assessment across four domains:

  • Organizational Culture (leadership, teamwork, trust, etc.)
  • Practice Efficiency (team structure, team stability, workflows, etc.)
  • Self-Care (post-traumatic stress, post-traumatic growth, work-life balance, etc.)
  • Retention (work intentions)

Act

The AMA STEPS Forward® Program offers physician-developed practice innovation strategies that allow physicians and their teams to thrive in the evolving health care environment. 

Key AMA STEPS Forward resources

  • Playbooks: Comprehensive guides on saving time, feeling valued, taming the EHR, digital health implementation, wellness-centered leadership, reducing regulatory burden, and starting and sustaining a private practice.
  • Toolkits: Simple, actionable solutions to reduce burnout, improve well-being, optimize team-based workflows, and enhance patient experiences.
  • Webinars: Insights and best practices from subject matter experts on topics such as patient-centered care, leadership and culture, and digital health optimization.
  • Podcast: Health care leaders share personal stories, tips and insights on overcoming common practice challenges.

The Debunking Regulatory Myths series reduces guesswork by helping physicians and care teams quickly and easily understand ever-changing medical regulatory requirements.

The AMA also helps combat physician burnout by practicing advocacy in action


Recognize

The Joy in Medicine® Health System Recognition Program serves as a strategic road map to support organizations in their journey to improve professional satisfaction and organizational well-being. The goal of the program is to unite the health care community in building a culture committed to increasing joy in medicine for the profession nationwide.


Convene

The AMA is a proud co-sponsor of two prominent conferences focused specifically on combating physician burnout and improving professional well-being.

American Conference on Physician Health

The biennial American Conference on Physician Health™ (ACPH), co-sponsored by the American Medical Association, Mayo Clinic and Stanford Medicine, promotes scientific research and discourse on health system infrastructure and actionable steps organizations can take to improve physician well-being. 

International Conference on Physician Health™

The biennial International Conference on Physician Health™ (ICPH), co-sponsored by the American, British and Canadian Medical Associations, supports doctors and medical students in creating better working environments for themselves and their colleagues. 

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