Saving Time Playbook

Physician burnout continues to moderate since skyrocketing to a record-high in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, although U.S. physicians remain at higher risk for burnout relative to other U.S. workers, with over 45% of physicians reporting at least one symptom of burnout.

Preventing physician burnout and creating a well-run ambulatory practice both depend on getting rid of unnecessary work and using teamwork to improve operational efficiency and reliability. To achieve this, a practice must build in dedicated time and team-member support for all administrative and patient care tasks. In essence, physician well-being and operational “wellness” are both markers of a well-run practice, and both can be accomplished at the same time. 

The Saving Time Playbook provides strategies to organizational leaders to enhance processes, implement time-saving workflows and improve physician well-being, including:

• Building trust between practicing physicians and administrators
• Stopping the unnecessary work
• Sharing the necessary work
• Communicating thoughtfully 

What you’ll get

Gain access to practical tools that will help you apply the new or adapted processes outlined in this playbook right away, including: 

• De-implementation checklist
• Guiding principles in communication
• A stop this, start that checklist
• Sample calculators to help make the cost and time savings business case to leadership

• Physicians
• Clinical team members (eg, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, medical assistants)
• Practice operations leaders (eg, medical directors, nurse managers, practice managers)
• Organizational leaders (eg, CMOs, COOs, CWOs)

For additional timesaving and efficiency-boosting tips, check out the companion Taming the EHR Playbook.

AMA STEPS Forward® presents actionable, practical toolkits and customizable resources that you can use to successfully implement meaningful and transformative change in your practice or organization. Learn more.