Teamwork measure relates to provider experience, burnout, and intent to stay

To develop a brief teamwork measure and determine how teamwork relates to provider experience, burnout, and work intentions.

Survey of clinicians.

We analyzed data from Optum's 2019 biannual clinician survey, including a validated burnout measure and measures of provider experience and intent to stay. A 6-item measure of team effectiveness (TEAM) focused on efficiency, communication, continuous improvement, and leadership. Construct validity was assessed with content, reliability, and correlation with burnout. Generalized estimating equations with robust SEs determined relationships among TEAM score, provider experience, and intent to stay, controlling for demographics, clustering, and practice factors.

Of 1500 physicians and advanced practice clinicians (1387 with complete data; response rate 56%), there were 58% in primary care; 57% were women, and 38% identified as Asian, Black/Hispanic, or another race/ethnicity other than White non-Hispanic. Burnout was present in 30%. The Cronbach α was excellent (0.86), and TEAM correlated with the validated burnout measure (adjusted odds ratio [OR] of lower burnout with high TEAM score, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.19-0.40; P < .0001). Clinicians with TEAM scores of at least 4 were more likely to have positive provider experiences (79% favorable vs 24% with low TEAM score; P < .001), had lower burnout rates (17% vs 44%%; P < .001), and more often intended to stay (93% vs 65%; P < .001). TEAM index score was strongly associated with provider experience (adjusted OR, 11.72; 95% CI, 8.11-16.95; P < .001) and intent to stay (adjusted OR, 7.24; 95% CI, 5.34-9.83; P < .001).

The TEAM index is related to provider experience, burnout, and intent to stay, and it may help organizations optimize clinical work environments.