The Work-life Check-ins: a Supervisor-driven Intervention to Reduce Burnout in Primary Care

This study evaluates whether regular, structured one-on-one check-ins between supervisors and healthcare workers can reduce burnout — the emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced effectiveness that affects at least one-third of the healthcare workforce — at primary care clinics in Portland, Oregon. In the intervention, supervisors are trained to conduct frequent brief conversations with employees about workload, resources, and work-life balance, with the goal of creating a more supportive environment. Employees aged 18 and older working at participating OHSU primary care clinics — including physicians, nurses, medical assistants, and front-desk staff — are eligible. Participation involves completing surveys at baseline and 12 months and being part of either an intervention or waitlist-control clinic during the study. This summary was generated with AI assistance and is intended to help patients understand the study in plain language.