Health Care Worker Well-Being and Workforce Challenges in Settings Serving Populations Experiencing Health Disparities

Council Date: May 23, 2023

Objective

1. Support research that investigates etiological factors, especially at the systems level, contributing to health care worker well-being and workforce challenges in settings serving populations experiencing health disparities
2. Support research that evaluates the effect of health care worker well-being and workforce challenges on the health of populations experiencing health disparities
3. Support targeted multi-level interventions that address workforce challenges and promote well-being in health care settings serving populations that experiencing health disparities

Download the full concept paper

Description of Initiative

This initiative will focus on research involving longitudinal studies, clinical trials, quasi-experimental design natural experiments, mixed methods, and quality improvement studies that focus on:

1. Investigating etiological factors, especially at the systems level, contributing to health care worker well-being and workforce challenges in settings serving populations experiencing health disparities
2. Understanding the impact of health care workforce well-being and workforce challenges such as burnout on populations experiencing health disparities
3. Addressing health care workforce challenges and promoting workforce well-being in settings serving these populations

Health care workers include:

• Physicians
• Nurses
• Medical assistants
• Social workers
• Mental health care workers
• Occupational therapists
• Physical therapists
• Any other providers having direct patient care interactions
• Students could be considered

Research Priorities: Intervention research topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

Etiology/Protective Factors/Mechanisms:

• Studies evaluating the etiology of burnout and other health care workforce challenges
• Studies evaluating factors promoting health care worker well-being
• Studies evaluating resilience and burnout protective factors associated with health care worker well-being
• Studies that evaluate the mechanisms through which workforce burnout and well-being can impact the health of populations experiencing health disparities

Impact:

• Studies evaluating the impact of workforce challenges such as burnout and attrition as well as health care worker well-being on clinical and disease outcomes in populations experiencing health disparities
• Studies that evaluate the impact of health care worker burnout and well-being on quality of care, access to care, care coordination, and utilization of health care services
• Studies evaluating the extent and impact of burnout, staff shortages and other workforce challenges
• Studies evaluating the impact of burnout on the health of health care workers in these health settings, especially in providers that are members of populations experiencing health disparities

Interventions:

• Development of tailored interventions to promote well-being of health care workers, especially at the systems level
• Studies evaluating how interventions involving technology can be properly incorporated into the health care system to enhance workplace efficiency and promote health care worker well-being.

Page updated August 28, 2023  |  created August 24, 2023