Fulfillment in medicine: How Optum helps physicians reclaim joy in their practice
For Dr. David Kang, the desire to help others has been constant since childhood.
“I always wanted to become a doctor ever since I can remember,” Dr. Kang said. “When I was growing up, I always wanted to be there to help anyone who was in need, and this really drew me to a career in medicine.”
That calling carried him through more than two decades as a family physician, where he has built lasting relationships with patients and their families. His story, while personal, reflects a broader truth about what many physicians seek in their careers: meaningful connections with patients balanced with the ability to enjoy a full and healthy life outside of work.
Finding a practice rooted in mission
Toward the beginning of his career, Dr. Kang joined a local practice whose founder really wanted to build “something special.” This local practice shared Dr. Kang’s philosophy of putting patient care above all else. When that practice later became part of Optum, Dr. Kang saw the partnership as an opportunity to continue that mission on an even larger scale.
“I wanted to be part of something special, with my patient care as the most important thing,” he said.
At Optum, Dr. Kang has found the structure and resources to do just that. The organization’s patient-centered model allows him to focus on care while also giving him the stability and support to balance his personal life. For Dr. Kang, that balance means a short commute, predictable hours, and the ability to spend evenings exercising and unwinding with his wife and daughters.
“My family is the most important part of my life,” he said.
Supporting a better practice environment
While Dr. Kang’s story illustrates fulfillment on an individual level, it also reflects why Optum emphasizes physician well-being systemwide. Across the country, physician burnout remains one of the biggest challenges facing health care today. National surveys consistently show high rates of stress, exhaustion and disengagement among physicians.
For Optum, improving clinician satisfaction is part of our Quadruple Aim — improving the patient experience, creating healthier populations, reducing the cost of health care and providing an exceptional provider experience. With this goal in mind, Optum is setting out to not only improve the practice of medicine but also make physicians’ work more meaningful.
By simplifying documentation and streamlining population health insights, Optum allows doctors to spend less time on screens and more time connecting with patients. Optum is currently focused on reducing administrative burden and improving workflows. The inclusion of tools like ambient listening technology are already helping physicians save time.
How philosophy and technology improve physician satisfaction
The use of smarter technologies within Optum practices are adding to the overall efficiency and satisfaction for our physicians. By implementing patient-authorized ambient listening scribes, our physicians have seen a one-to-two-minute decrease in time spent documenting each visit. This ends up saving one to two hours per week of charting time — time which was commonly spent after clinic hours.
The use of ambient scribes has also allowed our clinicians to be more present and less mentally strained. In internal Optum surveys, more than 90% of clinicians reported a reduction in cognitive burden, while over 70% reported increases in patient satisfaction. Many were also able to see one to three additional patients per day as a result of the efficiencies created from these embedded technologies.
Getting physicians back to their calling
All the work that happens behind the scenes at Optum helps physicians like Dr. Kang realize fulfillment in their medical careers. When we are able to create more opportunities for physicians to have meaningful moments with their patients, we can make a lasting impact on lives. Those moments of impact could be identifying risk factors earlier in documentation, having deeper conversations to understand our patients’ health goals, or even having a more trusting relationship that allows our physicians to consult and guide their patients toward healthier lifestyle choices. For physicians like Dr. Kang, this profession extends far beyond the clinic walls—and into the lives of our patients. “I feel privileged that patients consider me part of their lives,” he said. “I have to say I enjoy my career.”
With Optum, Dr. Kang has been able to find that fulfillment in medicine. And to his fellow physicians, he offers this advice: “Never lose [sight of] why you are doing this in the first place. Most of us went into medicine feeling it was our calling — that we wanted to be there to help people in difficult times. It’s easy to lose that in the midst of paperwork or phone calls, but it’s the most important thing to remember.”
With our mission-driven practices, resources and modern technologies, Optum is helping physicians like Dr. Kang pursue their calling without it adversely affecting their lives outside of their practice.
For many physicians, finding ways to achieve this kind of balance is the key to making the practice of medicine sustainable and deeply rewarding.
Are you a physician considering your next step? Explore opportunities at Optum, where physicians are Caring. Connecting. Growing together.
