Four things your team can do to help you save time and avoid burnout

While there are many problems in the health care system causing physicians to burn out, one possible solution is to lean on your care team as much as possible. There are many tasks that staff members can do to save you time and energy. Here are four examples:

1. Ask patients with diabetes to remove their shoes.

2. Recheck an elevated blood pressure.

3. Print patients’ current medication list and ask them to update it while they wait. Staff can instruct the patients to circle the meds that need to be refilled, cross off any meds they no longer take, and put question marks by the meds they think they may not need or have questions about. When they bring the list into the exam room, you’ll be able to take it all in at a glance.

4. Provide flu vaccine information to patients upon check-in during flu season.

A team-based approach can also help you save time on documentation. Consider periodically asking your staff members if they have any more suggestions to save time and get home earlier.

Read the full article in FPM: “Practical Ways to Address Physician Burnout and Restore Joy in Practice.”