By Jackson Murphy on behalf of Atrius Health
Karim Awad, MD.
Photo by Robert Schoen Photography.
As medical director of clinician wellness at Atrius Health, Karim Awad, MD, leads well-being initiatives for 825 physicians and more than 300 advanced practice clinicians in the state’s largest independent medical group. Atrius Health committed to making physician burnout prevention part of its organizational strategy in 2016, when it appointed Dr. Awad to help lead this work in a new clinical affairs department. He was appointed to his current role earlier this year.
With burnout affecting nearly half of physicians nationally, Dr. Awad says it’s crucial that health care organizations recognize that this issue has broad implications. “Clinician burnout harms patients,” he says. “It can lead to medical errors, longer post-operative recovery, and higher hospital mortality. If an organization is focused on delivering the best care, then they need to address this big problem.”
Dr. Awad says organizations can start by streamlining processes. At Atrius Health, this involves automating tasks like prescription refills, reducing inbox clutter, and eliminating clicks in the electronic medical record. “We’re redesigning the way care is delivered,” he says. “We are developing a team approach that involves doctors, nurses, and medical assistants working at the top of their licenses to coordinate care.”
Although facilitating these types of institutional changes takes time and resources, Dr. Awad sees it as an absolute necessity for the future of health care. “Investing in reducing burnout helps curb rising costs for turnover and medical errors. It improves the well-being of our doctors and the health of our patients. By returning joy to the practice of medicine, we can all work to make Massachusetts a much healthier place to live.”
