2. WELLNESS FUEL TANK

Abstract

Background Wellness is crucial to provider well-being and better patient outcomes. Assessment of trainee wellness occurs infrequently and misses the fluctuation of wellness at the individual trainee level. To address this gap, we piloted Wellness Fuel Tank (WFT), a phone-texting communication tool prompting trainees to self-assess personal wellness. Methods Residents were educated on objectives and logistics of WFT through in-person discussion and email. Participation was voluntary and trainees could opt out at any time. Trainees received weekly text messages prompting self-assessment of their wellness level from 0 (empty) to 4 (full). Residents could share comments about personal and program wellness. Text exchanges concluded with institutional support resources. Trainees with empty or quarter-full levels were contacted to offer support and facilitate resource allocation. This pilot ran 1/10-6/20/19. Outcomes Sixty-four percent of residents (47/73) utilized WFT at least once, totaling 436 responses. On average, 25% of residents participated weekly. Participation waned: 44% peak (week 2) down-trending to 15% (week 24). One resident opted out. Mean WFT levels were 2.9+/-0.6 and remained steady. Fifteen (21%) trainees reported 19 instances (4% of responses) of low wellness levels attributed to learning environment (n=6,32%), personal (n=5,26%), academic (n=4,21%), and/or family (n=1,5%) issues. Themes contributing to low WFT were fatigue (workload, sleep, consecutive workdays), illness, death, poor treatment by supervisor, and impaired self-care (exercise, eating, family time). Trainees submitted 138 comments (32% of responses); low fuel tank levels correlated with more comments. Project build cost $2700; weekly expenditure totals $2. Two hours were dedicated weekly to project administration. Implications WFT is a cost-efficient resource that provides residents with a simple outlet for communicating wellness levels and ideas with leadership. Significant numbers of trainees voluntarily reported low wellness levels, although overall occurrence was infrequent. Our analysis suggests that WFT provides meaningful opportunities for communication about trainee and program wellness.