Healthcare’s burnout crisis is having a major impact on physicians’ wellbeing, as well as contributing to the physician shortage. The country is projected to be short 37,800 to 124,000 physicians by 2034, according to data from the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Healthcare consulting firm Jarrard Inc. conducted a nationwide survey of physicians in May, delving into their perceptions regarding the decision-making prowess of organizational leaders and its impact on clinicians. The findings show that many physicians believe executive decisions tend to exacerbate burnout rather than alleviate it.
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Because of this, there is a wide trust gap between physicians and the executives that lead their institutions, according to the report. Of the 333 physicians that were surveyed, barely half said they think their organization’s leaders are transparent, honest and make good decisions for patients and employees.
The trust gap was particularly broad at not-for-profit healthcare providers. Just 36% of physicians working at not-for-profit facilities agreed that their leaders are honest and transparent, contrasted with 51% of physicians at investor-owned providers.
The gap was also especially wide among female physicians. Only 42% of female physicians said they have “a lot or a great deal” of trust that their leaders are honest and transparent, compared to 55% of their male peers.
The report made it clear that physicians want more open and candid communication from their institutional leaders. When respondents were given a chance to write about how leaders can build trust among physicians, one-third of their responses included the words “transparent,” “transparency,” “honest” or “honesty.”
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One respondent said the trust gap could tighten if executives “seemed more engaged and authentic when pursuing interactions and evaluating the needs of our front-line providers.” Another said that physicians would trust leaders more if they “felt like the hospital system was more human” instead of getting the message that “everyone is just a tool in a giant toolbox.”
Respondents said that having more open communication with leadership would have a major impact on their job satisfaction. They said this change would have as much benefit as providing better access to supplies and data.
Physicians may be lacking trust in their organizational leaders, but they have a lot of faith in their peers. About half of respondents said they trust their physician peers more than their institution’s CEO, chief medical officer, department head, chief nursing officer and nursing colleagues. Jarrad’s nurse survey from last year had similar findings — nurses said that they trusted their nursing colleagues and direct manager the most. Most physicians said they want their institution’s leaders to create an environment where they can build better relationships with their colleagues.
The results of this survey emphasized the need for the leaders of provider organizations to deploy more transparent communication lines with their physicians, as well as facilitate opportunities for physicians to nurture connections with their teams. Building stronger relationships within teams has the potential to enhance satisfaction and foster a sense of pride among physicians, which could lead to decreased turnover rates and enhanced quality of care for patients, the report pointed out.
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