Abstract
BackgroundBurnout for doctors-in-training is increasingly cause for concern. Our objectives were to assess the feasibility, acceptability and impact of a novel intervention to reduce burnout and improve wellbeing. This is the first wellbeing intervention for medical doctors to include strategies for work-life boundary management and digital wellbeing.MethodsTwenty-two doctors participated in face-to-face workshops which included group discussion of challenges experienced and strategies to enhance self-care and wellbeing. A pre-post-test mixed-methods evaluation was undertaken. Questionnaire measures were the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale and the boundary control subscale of the Work-Life Indicator (i.e., the degree of perception of control of the boundaries between work and personal life). Paired t-tests examined whether there were statistically significant differences. Eleven doctors also participated in post-intervention semi-structured interviews. Transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsThe intervention was well-received, with all trainees finding the workshop useful and saying they would recommend it to others. At baseline most participants had scores indicative of burnout on both the disengagement (82%) and exhaustion (82%) subscales of the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory. One month post-intervention, participants had a statistically significant reduction in burnout (both disengagement and exhaustion) and improvement in boundary control. Wellbeing scores also improved, but differences were not statistically significant. Qualitative analysis indicated participants had welcomed a safe space to discuss stressors and many had implemented digital wellbeing strategies to manage their smartphone technology, and increased self-care such as mindfulness practice and walking in green space.ConclusionsThe intervention reduced burnout and improved boundary control. We suggest that having protected time for doctors to share personal experiences, adopt digital wellbeing and self-care strategies are effective tools to support doctors’ wellbeing and should be investigated further.
Highlights
Burnout for doctors-in-training is increasingly cause for concern
Lack of work-life balance has increasingly been highlighted as a primary cause for current levels of stress in the medical profession, and for the increasing problems in recruitment and retention at all levels [5]. Digital technologies such as smartphones can extend the time of availability to help and support colleagues beyond working hours, affecting one’s “digital wellbeing” [6]
The mean wellbeing score of participants (M = 46.67, SD = 7.41) showed 13 (59%) had a wellbeing score lower than the mean reported by the Health Survey for England for the general population in 2016 (M = 49.9) [31]
Summary
Our objectives were to assess the feasibility, acceptability and impact of a novel intervention to reduce burnout and improve wellbeing This is the first wellbeing intervention for medical doctors to include strategies for work-life boundary management and digital wellbeing. Lack of work-life balance has increasingly been highlighted as a primary cause for current levels of stress in the medical profession, and for the increasing problems in recruitment and retention at all levels [5]. Digital technologies such as smartphones can extend the time of availability to help and support colleagues beyond working hours, affecting one’s “digital wellbeing” [6]. This can include healthcare professionals who make use of technology and communication technologies to get and give support, find information and that acts as a vehicle for their availability outside working hours
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