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Executive Briefing
SPONSORED BY
H
igh turnover among healthcare professionals is a
serious and costly problem. Turnover among primary
care physicians leads to an additional $980 million in
healthcare costs each year, according to research published in
Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Unless health systems address the
underlying issues that drive clinician turnover, it will be difficult
to achieve local and national health goals.
Becker's Hospital Review recently spoke with Angel J. Mena,
MD, chief medical officer of symplr Clinical Communications,
about how new approaches to clinical communication can
reduce high turnover rates among primary care physicians,
nurses and other providers.
In addition to his role at symplr, Dr. Mena has been a practicing
physician in the fields of primary care and hospital medicine for
the last 10 years. He also serves as associate program director
for internal medicine at Cincinnati-based TriHealth.
Burdensome workflows are a major contributor
to clinician burnout, but better clinical
communication can help
The first step in addressing burnout is recognizing that a major
problem exists and taking action. "We can't be shy about this
issue," Dr. Mena said. "Turnover isn't limited to doctors. It's also
affecting nurses and medical assistants. Everyone is suffering
and that, in turn, is having a negative impact on patients."
To identify solutions, health systems are starting at the top.
Many innovative organizations have created a role in the
C-suite, such as a chief wellness officer or chief wellbeing
officer, to address employee turnover. These individuals focus
on identifying and treating the conditions that lead to turnover.
According to Dr. Mena, "Most of the time, those are related
to burnout."
One of the primary causes of clinician burnout is the growing
encroachment of operational and administrative work duties
into what was formerly pure clinical time. "Listening to people
and spending time with them are critical elements of patient
care," Dr. Mena said. "Unfortunately, physicians are spending
less time with patients today because we are completing
documentation or trying to find the appropriate person in the
healthcare system to take care of an individual's needs. That's
where clinical communication is essential.
Health systems must develop comprehensive clinical commu-
nication strategies and then implement platforms that support
those strategies. "This enables physicians to connect with the
right person at the right time. If I need a cardiologist, for exam-
ple, I can connect with them immediately. There's no wasted
time trying to identify who will care for patients," Dr. Mena said.
Angel J. Mena
MD, Chief Medical Officer,
symplr Clinical Communications
"Turnover isn't limited to doctors.
It's also affecting nurses and medical
assistants. Everyone is suffering and
that, in turn, is having a negative impact
on patients."
Dr. Angel J. Mena, MD, Chief Medical Officer,
symplr Clinical Communications
One of the primary causes of clinician
burnout is the growing encroachment
of operational and administrative
work duties into what was formerly
pure clinical time
"Unfortunately, physicians are spending
less time with patients today because
we are completing documentation or
trying to find the appropriate person in
the healthcare system to take care of an
individual's needs. at's where clinical
communication is essential."
How to reduce physician turnover through improved
clinical communications
