Want to arm physicians against burnout? Show them they’re valued

By: Georgia Garvey, Contributing AMA News Writer

When doctors feel valued, they’re less likely to have burnout. Health leaders should follow these five tips to show physicians how valued they are.

No one wants to feel like just a cog in the machine at work, and physicians are no exception to the rule. The stakes, though, are somewhat higher in a profession where overwork and stress are contributing to a national burnout epidemic that affects not just physicians but their health systems, patients and society as a whole.

With almost half of physicians reporting at least one symptom of burnout, it’s incumbent upon organizations and leaders to find ways to show doctors they’re valued and important—a feeling that has proven to be protective against that very burnout.?

As the leader in physician well-being, the AMA is reducing physician burnout by removing administrative burdens and providing real-world solutions to help doctors rediscover the Joy in Medicine?.

And while there is no overnight solution, health systems and other health care organizations can make specific, effective changes to create or recreate that joy in medicine. With that in mind, an AMA STEPS Forward? playbook offers five concrete strategies that leaders can employ to help physicians feel valued in an organization.

Find flexibility and autonomy

Physicians who feel as if they can control their work environment are more satisfied in their jobs. Though it’s impossible for physicians to choose every aspect of their workday, there must be some flexibility in the design of the schedule template, the daily or weekly work hours, their ability to work from home or other factors such as patient panel size. Also, physicians need to be paid for the significant amounts of work they do when they’re not directly seeing patients.?

So, how can a balance be struck between a physician’s and an organization’s preferences??

“The common goal is that physician schedules allow patients to see their own physicians when they need to,” the playbook says, laying out strategies for introducing flexibility into scheduling. It also points out the need to plan for adequate time for managing patient panels and offers a sample approach for determining how much should be blocked off.

There’s a danger to giving physicians too many patients, and the playbook explains how that often happens. It also delves into what factors go into determining how many patients a physician can effectively handle, and how to handle schedules when it comes to onboarding doctors new to the organization.

Support time off

With studies showing that three out of every five physicians take 15 days or fewer vacation days a year, and one out of five takes five or fewer days, despite having an average of 25 to 35 days of PTO annually, there’s a disconnect.

Physicians need time off to unwind, relax, spend time with their loved ones and decompress from highly stressful and demanding jobs. Taking vacation time doesn’t just help them and their loved ones, though. Their health systems, coworkers and patients all benefit from the lower rates of burnout conferred by their physicians taking restful, adequate vacation.

There are three components to what the AMA calls “real PTO”—time during which patient care and EHR responsibilities are covered, time that plans for lead-in and catch-up duties and time that does not penalize the physician financially.?

It’s also important to create a culture that encourages taking time off. The field of medicine rewards self-sacrifice and strong work ethic, and while that should not be dismantled, it should also not become a barrier to taking restorative PTO. The playbook offers strategies for creating a pro-PTO culture that includes preemptively blocking off PTO on physician schedules and refraining from praising physicians who work while they are supposed to be taking time off.

The playbook also lays out seven EHR inbox coverage models, giving the pros and cons for each method and explaining the impact on covering physicians and those taking PTO. Additionally, three models (for salary-based, RVU-based and alternative structures) are presented for how to let compensation support—not discourage—physicians taking PTO.

Keep a physician’s passions in mind

With studies showing that spending a fifth of one’s professional time on activities of interest can lessen and prevent burnout, finding ways to develop physicians is key to prioritizing their well-being.?

There are many paths for physicians, and leaders can find ways to support them in entrepreneurship, clinical medicine and continuing education, research, teaching and medical education, health system administration and leadership, patient community engagement and professional community engagement.?

The playbook suggests ways for an organization to help physicians pursue their passions and offers strategies for leaders looking to bring up professional development questions in formal or informal conversations with the physicians they lead.?

?? Read the full article ?? to find out the two other strategies.

Combat physician burnout?

• Event: American Conference on Physician Health (ACPH) Sept. 11-13, 2025, focusing on steps organizations can take to improve physician well-being
• CME: How health systems can reduce physician burnout
• Calculate: See the cost of physician burnout to your organization
• Video: Latest trends in physician burnout by specialty
• Playbook: Wellness-centered leadership

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