Survey shows physician engagement is low, but can get better

Only 20% of physicians feel engaged with the organization they work for, according to a survey conducted by athenahealth. The 2016 Physician Leadership and Engagement Index asked physicians to answer three questions about their institutions: whether the organization inspires them to go above and beyond, whether they see themselves working there in the future, and whether they would encourage others to receive care from the organization.

Some of the results include: male physicians are more engaged than female physicians; engagement is lowest among primary care and hospital-based physicians; and physicians who work in independent, physician-owned practices are more engaged than physicians in hospital-owned practices.

Although physician engagement is low, athenahealth says the survey results also point to opportunities for improvement. This includes: developing physician leadership, increasing trust between physicians and non-physician leaders, and providing an environment that encourages physicians to focus on medicine.

Source: athenahealth