Strategies to Alleviate Primary Care Physician Burnout

Primary care physicians in the United States are experiencing increasing levels of burnout, often resulting in reduced working hours and early departure from their practices. A significant factor contributing to this issue is the overwhelming influx of digital messages from patients via electronic health records (EHRs), which has escalated dramatically over recent years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recent research from the University of Michigan offers promising approaches to address this crisis and enhance both patient care and provider well-being. Three studies published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine examined various interventions aimed at managing patient portal messages, a major source of administrative burden.

The first study highlights gender disparities: women physicians spend more time on portal messages, encounter more negative or demeaning communications, and are more affected by burnout related to message management. Despite similar average daily time spent on messages, women report greater emotional and workload-related challenges. Recognizing these gender differences can inform tailored solutions.

The second study evaluates the impact of dedicated time slots—referred to as Patient Asynchronous Care Effort (PACE) slots—for physicians to handle messages within their scheduled clinic hours. The findings show that while these slots did not reduce overall 'pajama time' spent outside working hours, they significantly improved physicians’ perception of their workload. Most physicians felt better equipped to manage urgent messages timely and experienced less overwhelm, without affecting patient visits or revenue.

The third study demonstrates the benefits of team-based message handling. By clarifying roles and routing guidelines for different types of messages, clinics achieved a 16% reduction in messages per physician and a substantial decrease in duplicate messages. This approach emphasizes efficient intra-clinic communication and role clarity, which can help prevent unnecessary message traffic.

Additional research also emphasizes the importance of team collaboration, recognizing that efficient routing and role delineation can significantly lessen the administrative burden. Together, these interventions demonstrate that structured workflow modifications, team involvement, and targeted time management can mitigate burnout and improve primary care services.

Ultimately, addressing digital message overload in primary care calls for a comprehensive strategy that includes workload redistribution, team-based approaches, and systems improvements, ensuring sustainable practices for physicians and better care for patients. source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-primary-doctor-burnout.html