Search all AHRQ sites
Menu
SHARE:
AHRQ Research Studies
Sign up: 
AHRQ Research Studies Email updates
Research Studies is a monthly compilation of research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers and recently published in journals or newsletters.
Results
1 to 25 of 50 Research Studies DisplayedRosen A, Cahill JM, Dugdale LS
Moral injury in health care: identification and repair in the COVID-19 Era.
The authors argue that a continuum exists between moral distress, moral injury, and burnout. They suggest that clear communication from leadership is essential for rectifying the morally injurious sense among health-care workers that executives prioritize revenue over patient and clinician health. They concluded that, in order to avoid widespread clinician burnout, moral injury must be identified and addressed before the wounds of health care result in permanent and irreversible loss.
Citation: Rosen A, Cahill JM, Dugdale LS .
Moral injury in health care: identification and repair in the COVID-19 Era.
J Gen Intern Med 2022 Nov;37(14):3739-43. doi: 10.1007/s11606-022-07761-5..
Keywords: COVID-19, Workforce, Provider: Health Personnel, Burnout, Stress
Livaudais M, Deng D, Frederick T
Perceived value of the electronic health record and its association with physician burnout.
The objective of this study was to investigate how seniority/years of practice, gender, and screened burnout status were associated with opinions of electronic health record (EHR) use on quality, cost, and efficiency of care. Ambulatory primary care and subspecialty clinicians at three different institutions were surveyed. Findings showed that burnout status was significantly associated with clinicians' perceived value of EHR technologies, while years of practice and gender were not.
AHRQ-funded; HS022065.
Citation: Livaudais M, Deng D, Frederick T .
Perceived value of the electronic health record and its association with physician burnout.
Appl Clin Inform 2022 Aug;13(4):778-84. doi: 10.1055/s-0042-1755372..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Burnout, Provider: Physician
Evans LV, Ray JM, Bonz JW
Improving patient and clinician safety during COVID-19 through rapidly adaptive simulation and a randomised controlled trial: a study protocol.
The purpose of this study will be to simultaneously assess the challenges and facilitators of COVID-19 preparedness in the emergency department (ED) and the mitigation of emergency physician stress, test the effectiveness of a simulation preparedness intervention on physician physiological stress, and improve physician preparedness while decreasing physician stress and anxiety.
AHRQ-funded; HS028340.
Citation: Evans LV, Ray JM, Bonz JW .
Improving patient and clinician safety during COVID-19 through rapidly adaptive simulation and a randomised controlled trial: a study protocol.
BMJ Open 2022 May 19;12(5):e058980. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-058980..
Keywords: COVID-19, Patient Safety, Simulation, Burnout, Provider: Clinician
Fraiman YS, Cheston CC, Cabral HJ
Effect of a novel mindfulness curriculum on burnout during pediatric internship: a cluster randomized clinical trial.
This study examined the effectiveness of a monthly mindfulness curriculum (Mindfulness Intervention for New Interns) for medical interns on emotional exhaustion (EE) as measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory 9-question EE subscale as well as secondary outcomes of depersonalization, personal accomplishment, and burnout. This was a randomized clinical trial of 340 pediatric interns participating in 15 US pediatric training programs from June 2017 to February 2019. The intervention included 7 hour-long sessions and a monthly mindfulness refresher implemented during internship. The active control arm also included monthly 1-hour social lunches. Follow-up was done at 6 months and at month 15. Both arms’ EE scores were higher at 6 and 15 months than at baseline, but EE did not significantly differ by arm in multivariable analyses. There were also no significant differences in the 6 secondary outcomes at month 6 or month 15.
AHRQ-funded; HS000063.
Citation: Fraiman YS, Cheston CC, Cabral HJ .
Effect of a novel mindfulness curriculum on burnout during pediatric internship: a cluster randomized clinical trial.
JAMA Pediatr 2022 Apr;176(1):365-72. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.5740..
Keywords: Education: Curriculum, Burnout, Provider: Physician
Abraham CM, Zheng K, Norful AA
Use of multifunctional electronic health records and burnout among primary care nurse practitioners.
This study investigated whether there is an association with the use of multifunctional electronic health records (EHRs) with nurse practitioner (NP) burnout in primary care practices. The study used cross-sectional survey data secondary analysis collected from NPs in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The NPs completed surveys measuring burnout, use of multifunctional EHRs, demographics, and characteristics of their practice. Of 396 NPs included, 25.3% reported burnout, but the use of multifunctional EHRs did not increase primary care NP burnout.
AHRQ-funded; HS027290.
Citation: Abraham CM, Zheng K, Norful AA .
Use of multifunctional electronic health records and burnout among primary care nurse practitioners.
J Am Assoc Nurse Pract 2021 Dec;33(12):1182-89. doi: 10.1097/jxx.0000000000000533..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Burnout, Provider: Nurse, Primary Care
Enayat M, Farahani NZ, Chaudhry AP
Incorporating RTLS-based spatiotemporal information in studying physical activities of clinical staff.
This research used Real-Time location systems (RTLS) to study the amount of physical activity exerted by physicians, residents, nurses, and staff in the emergency department (ED). The goal of this research is to examine how low and high physical activity can affect the physical and mental health of clinicians, which can lead to fatigue and burnout. The authors used one year worth of raw RFID data that covers the movement records of 38 physicians, 13 residents, 163 nurses, and 33 staff in the ED. They compared results to the values reported in the literature and showed despite the low spatial resolution of RTLS, their non-invasive estimations were closely comparable to the ones measured by Fitbit or other wearable pedometers.
AHRQ-funded; HS026622.
Citation: Enayat M, Farahani NZ, Chaudhry AP .
Incorporating RTLS-based spatiotemporal information in studying physical activities of clinical staff.
Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc 2021 Nov;2021:2386-91. doi: 10.1109/embc46164.2021.9630597..
Keywords: Provider: Physician, Provider: Clinician, Stress, Burnout
Hewitt DB, Chung JW, Ellis RJ
National evaluation of surgical resident grit and the association with wellness outcomes.
Investigators sought to characterize grit among US general surgery residents and to examine the association between resident grit and wellness outcomes. Grit was measured using the 8-item Short Grit Scale. They found that, in this national survey evaluation, higher grit scores were associated with a lower likelihood of burnout, thoughts of attrition, and suicidal thoughts among general surgery residents. They concluded that grit is likely not an effective screening instrument to select residents; instead, they recommended that institutions ensure an organizational culture that promotes and supports trainees across this elevated range of grit scores.
AHRQ-funded; HS000078.
Citation: Hewitt DB, Chung JW, Ellis RJ .
National evaluation of surgical resident grit and the association with wellness outcomes.
JAMA Surg 2021 Sep;156(9):856-63. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2021.2378.
AHRQ-funded; HS000078..
AHRQ-funded; HS000078..
Keywords: Provider: Physician, Surgery, Burnout
Profit J, Adair KC, Cui X
Randomized controlled trial of the "WISER" intervention to reduce healthcare worker burnout.
The objective of this randomized control study was to test web-based implementation for the science of enhancing resilience (WISER) intervention efficacy in reducing healthcare worker (HCW) burnout. The study was designed using two cohorts of HCWs of four NICUs each, to improve HCW well-being (primary outcome: burnout). Cohort 1 received WISER while Cohort 2 acted as a waitlist control.
AHRQ-funded; HS027837.
Citation: Profit J, Adair KC, Cui X .
Randomized controlled trial of the "WISER" intervention to reduce healthcare worker burnout.
J Perinatol 2021 Sep;41(9):2225-34. doi: 10.1038/s41372-021-01100-y..
Keywords: Burnout, Provider: Health Personnel
Ellis RJ, Nicolas JD, Cheung E
Comprehensive characterization of the general surgery residency learning environment and the association with resident burnout.
Researchers sought to characterize the learning environment and to evaluate associations with burnout using a cross-sectional survey administered to all U.S. general surgery residents. They found that the overall burnout rate was 43.0%, and residents were more likely to report burnout if they also identified problems with residency workload, efficiency, social support, organizational culture, meaning in work, or experienced workplace mistreatment. They recommended efforts to help programs identify and address weaknesses in a targeted fashion in order to improve trainee burnout.
AHRQ-funded; HS000078.
Citation: Ellis RJ, Nicolas JD, Cheung E .
Comprehensive characterization of the general surgery residency learning environment and the association with resident burnout.
Ann Surg 2021 Jul 1;274(1):6-11. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000004796..
Keywords: Burnout, Surgery, Stress, Provider: Physician
Abraham CM, Zheng K, Norful AA
Primary care nurse practitioner burnout and perceptions of quality of care.
Researchers investigated the relationship between primary care nurse practitioner (NP) burnout on perceptions of care quality and if the practice environment moderated the relationship between burnout and care quality. This was a secondary analysis of cross-sectional survey data from 396 NPs; the practice environment was measured using the Nurse Practitioner Primary Care Organizational Climate Questionnaire. The researchers found that burnout was related to lower perceptions of care quality but favorable environments were related to higher perceptions of quality.
AHRQ-funded; HS027290.
Citation: Abraham CM, Zheng K, Norful AA .
Primary care nurse practitioner burnout and perceptions of quality of care.
Nurs Forum 2021 Jul;56(3):550-59. doi: 10.1111/nuf.12579..
Keywords: Burnout, Provider: Nurse, Primary Care, Quality of Care
Edwards ST, Marino M, Solberg LI
Cultural and structural features of zero-burnout primary care practices.
There have been a lot of studies on individual-level drivers of burnout in primary care settings, but none have focused on zero-burnout practices. This cross-sectional analysis survey used data from 715 small-to-medium-size primary care practices in the US participating in AHRQ’s EvidenceNOW initiative. The authors found that zero-burnout practices had higher levels of psychological safety and adaptive reserve. Zero-burnout practices also reported more quality improvement strategies compared with high-burnout practices. More zero-burnout practices were solo or clinician owned, and less commonly had participated in accountable care organizations or other demonstration projects.
AHRQ-funded; HS023940.
Citation: Edwards ST, Marino M, Solberg LI .
Cultural and structural features of zero-burnout primary care practices.
Health Aff 2021 Jun;40(6):928-36. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2020.02391..
Keywords: Burnout, Primary Care
Goldberg DG, Soylu TG, Kitsantas P
Burnout among primary care providers and staff: evaluating the association with practice adaptive reserve and individual behaviors.
The purpose of this study was to examine the association between practice adaptive reserve (PAR) and individual behavioral response to change and burnout among healthcare professionals in primary care. Using data from the EvidenceNOW Heart of Virginia Healthcare initiative, the study’s findings showed that, as organizational capacity for change increased, burnout in healthcare professionals decreased by 51%. As healthcare professionals showed improved response toward change, burnout decreased by 84%. Increased hours of work per week was associated with higher odds of burnout across healthcare professional groups.
AHRQ-funded; HS023913.
Citation: Goldberg DG, Soylu TG, Kitsantas P .
Burnout among primary care providers and staff: evaluating the association with practice adaptive reserve and individual behaviors.
J Gen Intern Med 2021 May;36(5):1222-28. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-06367-z..
Keywords: Burnout, Primary Care, Provider: Nurse, Provider: Clinician, Provider: Physician, Provider
Haidari E, Main EK, Cui X
Maternal and neonatal health care worker well-being and patient safety climate amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The purpose of this study was to assess the perspectives of maternal and neonatal healthcare workers (HCWs) on well-being and patient safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Using HCW surveys, findings showed that 66% of respondents reported symptoms of burnout and 73% felt that burnout among their co-workers had significantly increased. Compared to physicians, nurses reported higher rates of unprofessional behavior and difficulty focusing on work. The authors concluded that three months into the COVID-19 pandemic, HCW well-being was substantially compromised, with negative ramifications for patient safety.
AHRQ-funded; HS027837.
Citation: Haidari E, Main EK, Cui X .
Maternal and neonatal health care worker well-being and patient safety climate amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
J Perinatol 2021 May;41(5):961-69. doi: 10.1038/s41372-021-01014-9..
Keywords: COVID-19, Burnout, Patient Safety, Provider: Nurse, Provider: Health Personnel, Maternal Care
Willard-Grace R, Knox M, Huang B
Primary care clinician burnout and engagement association with clinical quality and patient experience.
Burnout and engagement are commonly conceptualized as opposite ends of a spectrum, and there is concern that high clinician burnout and lack of engagement may adversely impact patient care. In this study, the investigators matched self-reported data on burnout and engagement for 182 primary care clinicians with data on clinical quality (cancer screenings, hypertension and diabetes control) and patient experience (Clinician and Group Survey-Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems [CG-CAHPS] communication scores, overall rating, and likelihood to recommend the clinic).
AHRQ-funded; HS026067.
Citation: Willard-Grace R, Knox M, Huang B .
Primary care clinician burnout and engagement association with clinical quality and patient experience.
J Am Board Fam Med 2021 May-Jun;34(3):542-52. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2021.03.200515..
Keywords: Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), Burnout, Patient Experience, Patient and Family Engagement, Provider: Clinician, Provider: Physician, Quality of Care, Provider: Nurse, Provider: Health Personnel
Dymek C, Kim B, Melton GB
Building the evidence-base to reduce electronic health record-related clinician burden.
This paper looks at the evidence-base to reduce electronic health record-related (EHR-related) clinician burden. Evidence-based informatics approaches, pragmatic next steps, and future research directions are presented to improve three of the highest contributors to EHR burden: documentation, chart review, and inbox tasks. Perspectives are also offered on how EHR vendors, healthcare system leaders, and policymakers can play an integral role to make EHR easier to use.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; HS027363.
Citation: Dymek C, Kim B, Melton GB .
Building the evidence-base to reduce electronic health record-related clinician burden.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2021 Apr 23;28(5):1057-61. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocaa238..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Burnout, Evidence-Based Practice, Provider: Clinician, Provider: Physician, Provider
Abraham CM, Zheng Norful, AA
Primary care practice environment and burnout among nurse practitioners.
This study looked at the primary care practice environment and how poor practice environments contribute to burnout of nurse practitioners (NPs). A survey of 396 NPs was conducted, and 25.3% were rated as burnt-out. Higher scores on professional visibility, NP-physician relations, NP-administration relations, independent practice and support subscales were associated with lower risk of NP burnout.
AHRQ-funded; HS027290.
Citation: Abraham CM, Zheng Norful, AA .
Primary care practice environment and burnout among nurse practitioners.
J Nurse Pract 2021 Feb;17(2):157-62. doi: 10.1016/j.nurpra.2020.11.009..
Keywords: Primary Care, Burnout, Provider: Nurse, Provider
Campbell AM, Mattoni M, Yefimov MN
Improving cognitive workload in radiation therapists: a pilot EEG neurofeedback study.
The authors employed an accelerated alpha-theta neurofeedback (NF) protocol to test if 12 radiation therapy therapists (RTTs) could learn the protocol and exhibit behavior and brain performance-related benefits. Following the 3-week protocol, participants showed a decrease in subjective cognitive workload and a decrease in response time during a performance task, as well as a decrease in desynchrony of the alpha electroencephalogram band. The authors concluded that the RTTs successfully learned the protocol and improved in perceived cognitive workload following 3 weeks of neurofeedback.
AHRQ-funded; HS025597.
Citation: Campbell AM, Mattoni M, Yefimov MN .
Improving cognitive workload in radiation therapists: a pilot EEG neurofeedback study.
Front Psychol 2020 Dec 3;11:571739. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.571739..
Keywords: Provider, Burnout, Stress, Workforce
Smith JG, Rogowski JA, Lake ET
Missed care relates to nurse job enjoyment and intention to leave in neonatal intensive care.
Being unable to provide required nursing care to infants could contribute to poorer neonatal nurse job outcomes, which may exacerbate staffing challenges. Little evidence exists about how missed nursing care relates to neonatal nurse job outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine relationships among missed nursing care, job enjoyment and intention to leave for neonatal nurses.
AHRQ-funded; HS024918.
Citation: Smith JG, Rogowski JA, Lake ET .
Missed care relates to nurse job enjoyment and intention to leave in neonatal intensive care.
J Nurs Manag 2020 Nov;28(8):1940-47. doi: 10.1111/jonm.12943..
Keywords: Newborns/Infants, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Provider: Nurse, Provider, Burnout, Nursing
Womack DM, Hribar MR, Steege LM
Registered nurse strain detection using ambient data: an exploratory study of underutilized operational data streams in the hospital workplace.
Registered nurses (RNs) regularly adapt their work to ever-changing situations but routine adaptation transforms into RN strain when service demand exceeds staff capacity and patients are at risk of missed or delayed care. The purpose of this study was to assess the utility of ambient workplace data, defined as time-stamped transaction records and log file data produced by non-electronic health record care delivery tools (e.g., nurse call systems, communication devices), as an information channel for automated sensing of RN strain.
AHRQ-funded; HS026370.
Citation: Womack DM, Hribar MR, Steege LM .
Registered nurse strain detection using ambient data: an exploratory study of underutilized operational data streams in the hospital workplace.
Appl Clin Inform 2020 Aug;11(4):598-605. doi: 10.1055/s-0040-1715829..
Keywords: Provider: Nurse, Provider, Health Information Technology (HIT), Workforce, Burnout
Co Z, Holmgren AJ, Classen DC
The tradeoffs between safety and alert fatigue: data from a national evaluation of hospital medication-related clinical decision support.
This study evaluated the overall performance of hospitals that used the Computerized Physician Order Entry Evaluation Tool in 2017 and 2018 and compared performances for fatal orders and nuisance orders each year. The authors evaluated 1599 hospitals that took the test by using their overall percentage scores along with the percentage of fatal orders appropriately alerted on and the percentage of nuisance orders incorrectly alerted on. Overall hospital scores improved from 58.1% in 2017 to 66.2% in 2018. Fatal order performance improved slightly from 78.8% to 83.0%, but there no very little change in nuisance order performance (89.0% to 89.7%). Conclusions were that perhaps hospitals are not targeting the deadliest orders first and some hospitals may be achieving higher scores by over-alerting. This has the potential to cause clinician burnout and even worsen patient safety.
AHRQ-funded; HS023696.
Citation: Co Z, Holmgren AJ, Classen DC .
The tradeoffs between safety and alert fatigue: data from a national evaluation of hospital medication-related clinical decision support.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2020 Aug;27(8):1252-58. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocaa098..
Keywords: Medication: Safety, Medication, Patient Safety, Clinical Decision Support (CDS), Decision Making, Burnout, Hospitals, Health Information Technology (HIT), Quality of Care
Poghosyan L, Ghaffari A, Liu J
Organizational support for nurse practitioners in primary care and workforce outcomes.
Lack of organizational support in healthcare settings has been linked to high levels of clinician stress, burnout, and job dissatisfaction. Little research exists on organizational support for nurse practitioners. In this study, the researchers investigated the relationship between organizational support and nurse practitioner outcomes, including job satisfaction, intent to leave, and quality of care. The investigators concluded that nurse practitioners from primary care practices with higher levels of organizational support were more likely to be satisfied with their jobs, have less intent to leave their jobs, and report better quality of care.
AHRQ-funded; HS024758.
Citation: Poghosyan L, Ghaffari A, Liu J .
Organizational support for nurse practitioners in primary care and workforce outcomes.
Nurs Res 2020 Jul/Aug;69(4):280-88. doi: 10.1097/nnr.0000000000000425..
Keywords: Provider: Clinician, Provider, Primary Care, Burnout, Stress, Workforce, Organizational Change
Bansal P, Bingemann TA, Greenhawt M
Clinician wellness during the COVID-19 pandemic: extraordinary times and unusual challenges for the allergist/immunologist.
This article describes current challenges for the allergy/immunology community due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The need for social distancing adds to complexity of care and can create isolation and anxiety. The authors suggests that tools such as the Strength-Focused and Meaning-Oriented Approach to Resilience and Transformation approach, wellness apps, mindfulness and gratitude can be used to help reduce issues contributing to burnout, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and posttraumatic stress disorder.
AHRQ-funded; HS024599.
Citation: Bansal P, Bingemann TA, Greenhawt M .
Clinician wellness during the COVID-19 pandemic: extraordinary times and unusual challenges for the allergist/immunologist.
J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract 2020 Jun;8(6):1781-90.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2020.04.001..
Keywords: COVID-19, Burnout, Stress, Provider: Clinician, Provider: Physician
Goldberg DG, Soylu TG, Grady VM
Indicators of workplace burnout among physicians, advanced practice clinicians, and staff in small to medium-sized primary care practices.
The goal of this study was to examine whether individual behaviors and attitudes towards major disruptive change has an effect on workplace burnout. Using surveys from healthcare professionals, researchers’ findings showed workplace burnout reported by 31.6% of physicians, 17.2% of advanced practice clinicians, 18.9% of clinical support staff, and 17.5% of administrative staff, with all healthcare professional groups having high levels of anxiety. Providers who experienced higher levels of anxiety and withdrawal were more than three times as likely to report burnout compared to those who experienced low levels in these domains.
AHRQ-funded; HS023913.
Citation: Goldberg DG, Soylu TG, Grady VM .
Indicators of workplace burnout among physicians, advanced practice clinicians, and staff in small to medium-sized primary care practices.
J Am Board Fam Med 2020 May-Jun;33(3):378-85. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2020.03.190260..
Keywords: Burnout, Primary Care, Provider, Workflow, Workforce
Adler-Milstein J, Zhao W, Willard-Grace R
Electronic health records and burnout: time spent on the electronic health record after hours and message volume associated with exhaustion but not with cynicism among primary care clinicians
This study examined whether objective measures of electronic health record (EHR) use-related to time, volume of work, and proficiency are associated with either exhaustion or cynicism. The authors combined Maslach Burnout Inventory survey measures with objective, vendor-defined EHR use measures from log files. Data was collected from all primary care clinics of a large, urban medical academic center in early 2018. One-third of clinicians had high cynicism and 51% had high emotional exhaustion. The clinicians with the most exhaustion spent time using the EHR after hours.
AHRQ-funded; HS022241.
Citation: Adler-Milstein J, Zhao W, Willard-Grace R .
Electronic health records and burnout: time spent on the electronic health record after hours and message volume associated with exhaustion but not with cynicism among primary care clinicians
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2020 Apr;27(4):531-38. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocz220..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Burnout, Provider: Clinician, Provider: Physician, Provider, Primary Care
Corby S, Gold JA, Mohan V
A sociotechnical multiple perspectives approach to the use of medical scribes: a deeper dive into the scribe-provider interaction.
This study’s objective was examine the scribe-provider relationship at healthcare organizations. Scribes help providers with electronic health records to alleviate provider burnout and increase clinical efficiency. Participants in the study included 81 clinicians (30 providers, 27 scribes, and 24 administrators) across five sites. The analysis generated six subthemes: characteristics of an ideal scribe, characteristics of a good provider, provider variability, quality of the scribe-provider relationship, negative side of the relationship, and evaluation and supervision of scribes.
AHRQ-funded; HS025141.
Citation: Corby S, Gold JA, Mohan V .
A sociotechnical multiple perspectives approach to the use of medical scribes: a deeper dive into the scribe-provider interaction.
AMIA Annu Symp Proc 2020 Mar 4;2019:333-42..
Keywords: Burnout, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT)
