Outline to Start the Provider Wellbeing Conversation

To start the conversation about provider wellbeing in your section or department, we recommend starting with a simple process that aligns with the idea of "4th Aim Continuous Improvement."

The process would look like this:

1. Survey your group as to the top 3 stressors in their professional day. You could use Survey Monkey to do this anonymously to provide confidentiality.
2. Collate and report the survey results to the group.
3. Make a plan to begin addressing the greatest stressors and let this be known to the group. Remember, you don't have to "solve" them to make a difference. For example, while all of the stressors surrounding the electronic health records may not be eliminated, steps can be taken to address specific aspects of the EHR that a group finds most stressful.
4. Keep the lines of communication open regarding progress. Set a "what by when" goal for your initial interventions.
5. Once you have made inroads in the "top 5," resurvey (brief!) to see what the next stressors are. Some stressors may be the same or may shift, even over a few months given the volatile/dynamic world of healthcare we're presently practicing in.

Please contact us if we can provide additional guidance.