The Impact of Schwartz Center Rounds on Moral Distress in a Large Healthcare System (S802)

Abstract

•Define moral distress.•Identify the value of the Schwartz Center Rounds upon moral distress. Moral distress occurs when someone knows the correct thing to do, but, because of some outside factors, is unable to do the right thing. Studies have shown that there is a correlation between moral distress and burnout. No prior studies have proven the impact of any particular intervention on moral distress levels. The study's main purpose was to study the immediate effects of the Schwartz Center Rounds, a rounding system that focuses on exploring moral and ethical issues in medicine on moral distress, at one academic medical center. This study was a longitudinal, quasi-experimental design. The sample used was a convenience sampling of Schwartz Center Rounds participants. The method of data collection was a two-part survey that was comprised of two Moral Distress Thermometer (MDT) readings (pre and post rounds) and demographic data. The rounds were conducted seven times during 2013. 415 individuals participated in the study, a 55% overall response rate. The mean pre-rounds Moral Thermometer (MT) value was 2.83 with a standard deviation (SD) of 2.25 and the mean post-rounds MT value was 2.80 with a SD of 2.22. There was no statistically significant difference between pre and post round mean levels. Moral distress is an issue that affects the spectrum of medical professionals and varies from individual to individual and between disciplines.