The Patient’s Problem List is NOT a List of Problems -  - Physician Burnout is Not A Problem Either !

The beginning of all wisdom starts by calling things by their right name. ~ Confucius

Healthcare's Pervasive Misuse of the Word "PROBLEM"

The patient’s Problem List is NOT a list of problems at all.

As a matter of fact, when you see a patient for a true problem, the last thing you would do is enter that onto their Problem List.

In this blog post, let me show why every item on the Problem List is something other than a problem -- and the extremely valuable physician burnout lesson we can learn by correcting this extremely common mistake.

Learn …

• Why “PROBLEM” – is perhaps the most frequently mis-used word in the English language

• Why Physician Burnout is NOT a PROBLEM either

• How to avoid the futile search for a solutions when none exist

• The true nature – and real name – of these non-problems

• Where to focus your energy and brain power to address them successfully
  
  

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Tags: physician burnout prevention, stop physician burnout, dilemma, problem list

Physician burnout: How to turn the corner in your life and practice

No matter how exhausted and overworked you may feel right now -- no matter how frustrated with your practice or your out-of-balance life you may be -- there is a way to turn this corner.

Working harder is not the answer though

If you want different results in your life, you must take different actions

What got you here won't get you there

Don't fall into this trap

You can get to a place where you are running so fast - just to keep up with your current reality - that you don't have time to do anything more or anything different. I have heard people say over and over, "I am too busy to even think about doing things differently". 

Here is the key to getting out of this Catch 22, the key to getting out of this mind trap.

You have to find a way to step out of the flow of your life - in order to see things from a more strategic point of view - where the things you want to change can come into sharp focus

This lesson actually came to me from the world of the entrepreneur. 

You see, a person starting a small business can often end up overwhelmed by the details of being a solo entrepreneur. There is so much to do to coordinate your product/service, marketing, accounting and payroll and managing employees. It is a fairly close match for all the balls a physician has to keep up in the air -- and it can get equally unbalanced. 

Entrepreneurs have to learn this mantra sooner or later

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Tags: physician burnout prevention, dike drummond, physician wellness retreat, Physician burnout, the happy md, physician coaching, intention journaling

Physician Burnout - Who will Save Us?

In this article you will learn why Physician Burnout is a Physician Leadership Issue and what to do when you realize no one is coming to rescue you.

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In articles and comments all over the internet, physicians do the same thing - blame, justify and complain about the work stresses we are under.

It is a futile show of frustration despite the fact that our concerns are legitimate.

On average 1 in 3 physicians are suffering from symptomatic burnout on any give office day. New levels of work stress seem to pile on each week. You can feel the longing to be rescued.

It is as if we are locked high in the castle tower, at the mercy of our evil captors - EMR, ICD-10 and Obamacare. Surely the king of everything that is right has dispatched a brave night to free us.

We shake our fists and ask "who is going to do something about this?" We dream of being rescued from these days of drudgery. This is not what we thought our practice would be like back in training.

All of these concerns are true and valid. AND understand one thing ...

Complaining and dreaming of a rescue is Playing the Victim - Pure and Simple

There is no brave knight coming to save you or anyone else

This only distracts you from Saving Yourself

Let me set a framework for addressing burnout effectively - the straightest path to meaningful change in your work day and your organization.

In the end you will see that Burnout is a Physician Leadership issue.

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Tags: physician burnout prevention, dike drummond, Physician burnout, physician stress, physician leadership, physician stress management

Physician Burnout Vs. The Bottom Line: The Epic Battle

The wave of consolidation sweeping healthcare in the US is causing wholesale collapse of private practice in many markets. Physicians are trading in their practices for employee status in rapidly growing provider networks usually based on a local hospital system.

Let me show you how this move sets up an invisible Battle that will determine your quality of life … and how to restore Balance as an employee physician.

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Tags: physician burnout prevention, dike drummond, Physician burnout, physician employee, physician leadership, physician burnout causes

The 2013 Heart of the Healer Physician Wellness Retreat was an amazing time on Orcas Island over our four days together in September

We worked on our Ideal Life and Ideal Practice Descriptions and created BIG and Little Bucket Lists ... with yoga and meditation in the mornings and whale watching and mountain hiking in the afternoons. All in the best summer weather of the year.

Here is a video of the cherry on top of the whole experience - our Float Plane flight back to Civilization

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Tags: physician burnout prevention, physician wellness, physician wellness retreat, heart of the healer, Physician burnout

Physician Burnout Podcast

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Tags: physician burnout prevention, dike drummond md, Physician burnout, the happy md, physician burnout treatment, physician burnout tools, physician burnout podcast, brainwashing, physician burnout interview

Physician Burnout and When Being Smart Gets In Your Way

In this article let me show you how being smart can completely obstruct your happiness and what to do to get around this thinking person's roadblock to a better life. Head's up ... the more you are surprised by the last sentence, the more I encourage you to read this article.

Let me show you the truth in this statement:
"The most powerful things in life are simple actions ... not complicated thoughts."

[NOTE: at the end of this post is an opportunity to blast through this roadblock to create deeper changes in your life and practice]

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Tags: physician burnout prevention, physician wellness retreat, dike drummond md, Physician burnout, the happy md, physician burnout treatment, physician, physician retreat, the heart of the healer, personal development for doctors, personal development for physicians

Physician Burnout and How To Break Out of Survival Mode

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Tags: physician burnout prevention, physician wellness, Physician burnout, intention journaling, survival mode

Physician Burnout, the Enlightened CFO and the Business Case for Physician Wellbeing

If your CFO fully understood the financial impact of physician burnout, they could be your biggest C-Suite physician wellness champion. 

They could lead the Quadruple Aim charge by convincing the CEO, CMO and even the Board of Directors/Trustees to invest in the health and wellbeing of the providers. They could make a solid business case for a multifaceted return on investment (RIO) in physician wellness across the organization.

Why is it not happening in every healthcare organization across the USA?

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Related:
1) Here is a recent JAMA Article on 
the Business Case for Burnout Prevention

2) Your Corporate Physician Wellbeing Strategy
is here at our WellMDWorks web page
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Tags: physician burnout prevention, dike drummond, Physician burnout, the happy md

Prevent Physician Burnout with a Mobile App? … you betcha … here are my two favorites

Forget Angry Birds and other mobile apps that do a great job of helping you waste time. And set aside for now the apps that help you find information and practice clinical medicine more efficiently.

It was only a matter of time before mobile apps would be developed that can actually help you prevent physician burnout.

Here are my two favorite mobile apps to help you lower stress and create more work life balance

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Tags: physician burnout prevention, dike drummond, Physician burnout, prevent physician burnout, physician coach, mindfulness meditation