Annals of Internal MedicineAssociation of Work Control With Burnout and Career Intentions Among US Physicians: A Multi-Institution Study

Read the original article

A comprehensive multi-institution study examining physician work control reveals significant associations between workplace autonomy, burnout rates, and career intentions among US physicians. The research, conducted between November 2022 and December 2023, provides quantitative evidence linking specific aspects of clinical work control to physician retention and professional satisfaction.

Study Design:

• Cross-sectional survey involving US physicians from practices with more than 100 physicians
• Utilized Mini-Z single-item burnout measure and novel multicomponent work control assessment
• Sample evaluated multiple control metrics including patient load, team composition, clinical scheduling, and workload management
• Study limitation: Convenience sampling may affect generalizability to smaller practices

Key Findings:

• 61.4% of physicians reported adequate control over patient load
• 60.6% indicated sufficient control over clinical team membership
• 74.6% expressed adequate control over clinical scheduling
• Less than half (49.0%) reported adequate control over staff hiring
• 58.3% indicated sufficient authority over areas of accountability
• Poor control over patient load and workload independently correlated with intentions to reduce clinical hours
• Multiple aspects of inadequate work control showed independent associations with burnout in multivariable analyses

HCN Medical Memo
The strong correlation between specific workplace control measures and physician burnout suggests that targeted interventions in areas such as patient load management and team composition could significantly impact retention. Healthcare organizations should consider implementing structured feedback mechanisms and collaborative decision-making processes to enhance physician autonomy in critical operational areas.

More on Physician Well-Being