The Importance of Autonomy and Performance Goals in Perceived Workload Among Behavioral Health Providers

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Occupational Health
• Mental Healthcare Delivery

Background:

• Workload management is critical for behavioral health providers.
• Understanding factors influencing perceived reasonable workload is essential for improving provider retention and patient care quality within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify workplace characteristics associated with perceived reasonable workload among behavioral health care providers in the VHA.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from the 2019 All Employee Survey (AES) and 2019 Mental Health Provider Survey (MHPS).
• Inclusion of facility-level staffing ratios from the Mental Health Onboard Clinical Dashboard.
• Application of mixed-effects logistic regression models to assess predictors of perceived reasonable workload.

Main Results:

• A significant proportion of providers reported a reasonable workload (59.9% AES, 56.4% MHPS).
• Key predictors of reasonable workload included attainable performance goals (AES) and patient scheduling autonomy (MHPS).
• Facility-level staffing ratios were not significantly associated with perceived reasonable workload.

Conclusions:

• Initiatives supporting provider autonomy in patient scheduling and the establishment of attainable performance goals are recommended.
• Focusing on these specific workplace characteristics may enhance provider satisfaction and potentially improve care delivery.