Utilization management and physician burnout.

Area of Science:

• Medical Economics
• Physician Well-being
• Healthcare Policy

Background:

• Physician burnout is a growing concern in healthcare.
• Utilization management (UM) is increasingly implemented by health insurers.
• The impact of UM on physician well-being and patient care requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess physician experiences with UM procedures.
• To investigate the link between UM and physician burnout.
• To identify potential policy solutions favored by physicians.

Main Methods:

• An electronic survey was distributed to 7222 physicians in outpatient settings.
• Survey responses from 501 physicians were analyzed.
• Data collected included demographics, UM experiences, burnout levels, and policy preferences.

Main Results:

• UM procedures like prior authorization, step therapy, and nonmedical switching were reported as major barriers by a majority of physicians.
• Over half of physicians spent 6-21+ hours weekly on UM-related paperwork.
• 64% of physicians indicated UM contributed to their burnout, with 8% citing it as the primary cause.

Conclusions:

• UM significantly hinders clinical and patient care.
• UM is a substantial contributing factor to physician burnout.
• Physicians advocate for streamlined UM processes and expert-led reviews.