Mitigating primary care provider burnout with interdisciplinary dyads and shared care delivery

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Primary Care Medicine
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Primary care providers (PCPs) face increasing strain due to chronic illnesses and physician shortages.
• Interdisciplinary providers are being integrated into primary care teams to address workload demands.
• Limited evidence exists on the impact of interdisciplinary care models on provider well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the impact of interdisciplinary primary care delivery on provider burnout.
• To assess the effect on job satisfaction among primary care providers.
• To evaluate the influence on intention to leave current positions.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional mail survey was conducted with 333 interdisciplinary PCPs in New York State.
• The Provider Comanagement Index measured interdisciplinary dyad effectiveness (communication, respect, shared philosophy).
• Validated measures assessed burnout, job satisfaction, and intention to leave; logistic regression analyzed outcomes.

Main Results:

• Nearly 30% of participants reported burnout, with thrice the odds of intending to leave within a year.
• Increased effective comanagement by one unit correlated with a 15% reduction in burnout.
• Each unit increase in comanagement decreased the odds of intending to leave by 10%.

Conclusions:

• Integrating interdisciplinary specialties into primary care shows promise for mitigating adverse provider outcomes.
• Comanagement strategies may be valuable for organizations aiming to enhance provider well-being and retention.
• Further research on the cost-effectiveness and financial sustainability of interdisciplinary care delivery is warranted.