SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Hospital Medicine Physician and Advanced Practice Provider Work Stressors

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This study explored work stressors among hospital medicine (HM) physicians and advanced practice providers (APPs) at a single academic division at the University of Michigan. Anonymous online surveys were sent from September to November 2020 to 118 physicians and 25 APPs; 50 total responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis.<br /><br />The survey focused on stressful aspects of the work environment, such as communication, inclusivity, and mentorship, as well as work factors including workload, shift times, patient complexity, scheduling, and electronic health record burden.<br /><br />Overall, physicians and APPs reported many similar stressors related to workload and work structure. The most common issues were the amount of work during each shift, variability in shifts, patient complexity, shift times, scheduling processes, and electronic health record use. For physicians, additional common concerns included poor interactions with consulting services and nursing, lack of control over scheduling, and gender discrimination. For APPs, major stressors included workload, difficulty adjusting to different roles and environments, job anxiety, and concerns about communication with leadership.<br /><br />The study found that physicians and APPs differed in their experiences of work environment stressors, communication, and sense of belonging. These differences may reflect variation in job roles, autonomy, and leadership structures. Interestingly, COVID-19 was not frequently mentioned as a major stressor, which the authors interpret as a sign of resilience and adaptability among respondents.<br /><br />The study has limitations, including a 50% response rate, a small APP sample, and limited generalizability. The authors conclude that understanding these differences is important for improving clinician well-being and reducing burnout, and that each identified concern could be addressed through quality improvement efforts.

Asset Subtitle

Ruby Marr

Meta Tag

Author List Anita Amin, Jason Ham, Ruby Marr, Stephanie M. Czarnik, Vijay Singh

Category Research

Concept Workload

Concept Variability

Concept Patient Complexity

Concept Electronic Health Record

Concept Hospital Medicine Clinician

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization University of Michigan Medical School

Presenting Author Ruby Marr

Track Quality Improvement

Keywords

hospital medicine

work stressors

physicians

advanced practice providers

burnout

workload

electronic health record

communication

leadership

clinician well-being

Workload

Variability

Patient Complexity

Electronic Health Record

Hospital Medicine Clinician