Association of Communication, Engagement, and Well-Being With Turnover Among Faculty at a Large Academic Health Care and Research System

Abstract

Purpose Burnout among health care professionals is associated with turnover and significant costs. This study explored the association between self-reported communication, engagement, and employee well-being and department turnover among faculty at an academic medical institution. Method This study used engagement survey data from an annual survey administered to all faculty at the University of Utah School of Medicine. Data sources included individual self-reported survey data collected in February 2022 and subsequent department-wide turnover counts captured across academic year 2023 (July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023). Domain scores for communication, engagement, and well-being were constructed for participants, averaged across each department, and compared against matching department turnover in the following academic year. A principal component analysis was conducted to derive a weighted index score of wellness domains and fit in a negative binomial regression to assess its association with the ensuing turnover rate. Model R2 values determined predictive ability. Results Nineteen departments with 2,084 faculty members met the inclusion criteria of the study. There was a decreasing trend between all 3 wellness domain scores and turnover, such that departmental turnover rates were lower at higher reported departmental wellness domain scores. A stronger decreasing trend was observed between turnover and the weighted index wellness score, with a 1-unit (approximately 20%) increase in this score being associated with a significant decrease of 32% in the rate of turnover across departments (incidence rate ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.58-0.80; P < .001). The weighted index wellness score explained 53% of variation in departmental turnover (R2 = 0.53). Conclusions Strong communication, engagement, and well-being were significantly associated with decreased turnover among faculty within this organization. The strong association between turnover and the weighted index score indicates that a multipronged approach to improving workplace culture could be most effective at reducing turnover.