Physician Flow at Work: Examining Work Absorption, Clinical Flow, Work Fulfillment, and Flow Thieves

Area of Science:

• Medical research
• Occupational psychology
• Physician well-being

Background:

• Flow experience is linked to positive job outcomes but is understudied in physicians.
• Physicians face unique "flow thieves" such as interruptions and documentation burdens.
• This study addresses the need for a physician-specific flow measurement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a measurement tool for physician flow (P-Flow).
• To examine the relationship between P-Flow and physician burnout, job satisfaction, and well-being.

Main Methods:

• A pilot instrument was developed and tested.
• The 14-item physician flow (P-Flow-14) scale was administered to physicians.
• Respondents also completed validated measures of burnout, job satisfaction, and well-being.

Main Results:

• The P-Flow-14 and a 7-item P-Flow scale demonstrated initial psychometric evidence.
• Higher flow experience correlated with increased well-being (p < .01) and job satisfaction (p < .01).
• Increased flow was associated with decreased burnout (p < .001), with findings varying by age and specialty.

Conclusions:

• Physician flow is associated with improved well-being and job satisfaction.
• Minimizing distractions and fostering concentration can enhance physician work experiences.
• Findings support interventions to improve the physician work environment and guide future research on flow thieves.