Physicians' Views on a Wellbeing Course Gifted to Them: A Qualitative Study

Overview

Journal Perm J

Specialties General Medicine
Health Services

Date 2021 Jan 23

PMID 33482957

Authors

Patricia Lynn Dobkin

Camila Velez

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: Given concerns about staff burnout and distress, the Chief of the Department of Medicine sponsored the Physician Wellbeing program making it cost-free for doctors at a large academic medical setting. Ninety doctors registered within the 1-year pilot project time frame. Following a Mind-Body Medicine online and Mindful Medical Practice workshop a qualitative study was conducted to identify physicians' views about the initiative. Physicians who agreed to take part following the workshops were the participants in the study.

Methods: Focus groups and individual interviews were conducted following 4 workshops. Participants (N = 15) were queried about helpful and unhelpful aspects of the program. Thematic framework analysis was employed for data analysis.

Results: Four themes regarding participants' views on the well-being course were identified. These were: 1) online curriculum (from engaging to disengaging); 2) intimate sharing amongst physicians in the workshop; 3) reflecting on and practicing wellness; and 4) a valuable "gift" from the Department of Medicine. Workshops were highly valued as they provided an opportunity to practice what was learned online as well as engage in fruitful exchanges amongst colleagues.

Conclusions: Physicians supported the integration of wellness programs into medical settings where stress is an inherent aspect of the work environment. They were grateful for the "gift" of being valued and supported by the administration.

References

Shanafelt T, Gorringe G, Menaker R, Storz K, Reeves D, Buskirk S . Impact of organizational leadership on physician burnout and satisfaction. Mayo Clin Proc. 2015; 90(4):432-40. DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2015.01.012. View

Rabiee F . Focus-group interview and data analysis. Proc Nutr Soc. 2005; 63(4):655-60. DOI: 10.1079/pns2004399. View

Dobkin P, Bernardi N, Bagnis C . Enhancing Clinicians' Well-Being and Patient-Centered Care Through Mindfulness. J Contin Educ Health Prof. 2016; 36(1):11-6. DOI: 10.1097/CEH.0000000000000021. View

Shanafelt T, Dyrbye L, West C, Sinsky C . Potential Impact of Burnout on the US Physician Workforce. Mayo Clin Proc. 2016; 91(11):1667-1668. DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2016.08.016. View

Kroth P, Morioka-Douglas N, Veres S, Pollock K, Babbott S, Poplau S . The electronic elephant in the room: Physicians and the electronic health record. JAMIA Open. 2019; 1(1):49-56. PMC: 6513015. DOI: 10.1093/jamiaopen/ooy016. View

Brown G, Bharwani A, Patel K, Lemaire J . An orientation to wellness for new faculty of medicine members: meeting a need in faculty development. Int J Med Educ. 2016; 7:255-60. PMC: 4983183. DOI: 10.5116/ijme.578a.2064. View

Puddester D . The Canadian Medical Association's Policy on Physician Health and Well-being. West J Med. 2001; 174(1):5-7. PMC: 1071214. DOI: 10.1136/ewjm.174.1.5. View

Epstein R . Mindful practice. JAMA. 1999; 282(9):833-9. DOI: 10.1001/jama.282.9.833. View

West C, Dyrbye L, Erwin P, Shanafelt T . Interventions to prevent and reduce physician burnout: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet. 2016; 388(10057):2272-2281. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31279-X. View

10.

Baathe F, Rosta J, Bringedal B, Ro K . How do doctors experience the interactions among professional fulfilment, organisational factors and quality of patient care? A qualitative study in a Norwegian hospital. BMJ Open. 2019; 9(5):e026971. PMC: 6537988. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-026971. View

11.

Shanafelt T, Balch C, Bechamps G, Russell T, Dyrbye L, Satele D . Burnout and medical errors among American surgeons. Ann Surg. 2009; 251(6):995-1000. DOI: 10.1097/SLA.0b013e3181bfdab3. View

12.

Bellini L, Shea J . Mood change and empathy decline persist during three years of internal medicine training. Acad Med. 2005; 80(2):164-7. DOI: 10.1097/00001888-200502000-00013. View

13.

Forbes M, Iyengar S, Kay M . Barriers to the psychological well-being of Australian junior doctors: a qualitative analysis. BMJ Open. 2019; 9(6):e027558. PMC: 6575636. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-027558. View

14.

Lacy B, Chan J . Physician Burnout: The Hidden Health Care Crisis. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2017; 16(3):311-317. DOI: 10.1016/j.cgh.2017.06.043. View

15.

Welp A, Meier L, Manser T . Emotional exhaustion and workload predict clinician-rated and objective patient safety. Front Psychol. 2015; 5:1573. PMC: 4302790. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01573. View