Health System Strategies to Address Behavioral Health Provider Burnout: A Modified Delphi Method

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Organizational Psychology
• Mental Health Services

Background:

• Behavioral health provider (BHP) burnout is a significant issue impacting healthcare systems.
• Identifying effective organizational-level strategies is crucial for mitigating burnout.

Purpose of the Study:

• To reach consensus on potential organizational-level strategies for addressing BHP burnout.
• To evaluate interventions based on impact, acceptability, and feasibility.

Main Methods:

• A two-round, modified Delphi panel of ten experts was convened.
• Eleven potential burnout interventions were rated using a 9-point Likert scale.
• Consensus was defined as ≥60% of panelists responding within a three-point range of the median.

Main Results:

• Twenty-seven items achieved consensus, with 10 reaching relevance (median rating ≥7).
• Four interventions reached relevance on two domains; none reached relevance on all three.
• Human Resources (HR) interventions like faster time-to-hire and telework flexibility showed high impact and feasibility but lacked leadership/provider acceptability.

Conclusions:

• Health systems can implement HR-driven strategies like expedited hiring and telework flexibility to combat BHP burnout.
• While impactful and feasible, these interventions require further refinement to gain leadership and provider acceptance.
• Further research should explore strategies that achieve consensus across impact, acceptability, and feasibility.