Satisfaction, commitment, and psychological well-being among HMO physicians

Objective To identify the factors That predict professional satisfaction, o rganizational commitment, and burnout among physicians working for health m aintenance organizations (HMOs). Methods and participants and participants Data came from mail surveys of Kaiser Permanente physicians in the Northwes t and Ohio Center for Health regions. The average response rate was 80% (n = 608). Results The single most important predictor for all 3 outcomes was a sense of control over the practice environment. Other significant predict ors included perceived work demands, social support from colleagues, and sa tisfaction with resources. The relative importance of these predictors vari ed, depending on the outcome under consideration. All 3 outcomes were also related to physician age and specialty. Older physicians had higher levels of satisfaction and commitment and lower levels of burnout. Pediatricians w ere more satisfied and committed to the HMO and were less likely to burn ou t. Conclusions Physicians who perceive greater control over the practice en vironment, who perceive that their work demands are reasonable, and who hav e more support from colleagues have higher levels of satisfaction, commitme nt to the HMO, and psychological well-being. Interventions and administrati ve changes that give physicians more control over how they do their profess ional work and that enhance social supports are likely to improve both phys ician morale and performance.