Q&A: Uncovering Physician's Needs is Key to Improving Well-Being

As we near year two of the COVID-19 pandemic, health systems and physicians continue to face added stress and burnout. And now with the Delta-Omicron variant tag team, many health systems are bracing for another surge of COVID-19 cases, which means well-being initiatives may need some revamping. For AMA member Kerri Palamara, MD, that means meeting physicians where they are to determine what their current needs are.

“What we've realized is the second we think we’ve figured it out, things change,” said Dr. Palamara, director of the Center for Physician Well-Being at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. “Being open to what we need to do for people has served us well, rather than assuming we know what people need.”

Committed to making physician burnout a thing of the past, the AMA has studied, and is currently addressing issues causing and fueling physician burnout including time constraints, technology and regulations to better understand and reduce the challenges physicians face. By focusing on factors causing burnout at the system-level, the AMA assesses an organization’s well-being and offers guidance and targeted solutions to support physician well-being and satisfaction.