Wellness curriculum effectively reduces burnout among radiology residents, even during the pandemic
Formal training dedicated to physician well-being effectively reduces burnout and improves resilience among radiology trainees, according to new work published in Clinical Imaging.
The new paper details the effect of the implementation of a holistic wellness curriculum on one institution’s radiology residents. After the program was deployed, the institution collected survey data from residents who participated in the program over a period of three years to determine whether department funded wellness initiatives truly accomplish the goal of promoting overall well-being.
“Rates of burnout amongst radiologists have continued to rise over recent years,” corresponding author Jenifer Pitman, MD, a diagnostic radiologist with Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and colleagues wrote. “Assessing wellness in physicians, providing them with tools to enhance their personal and professional lives, and addressing problems on a systemic scale with full administrative support is essential to optimizing physician well-being.”
The institution’s wellness curriculum consisted of sessions on movement, mindfulness and stress reduction, fulfillment in medicine, cognitive behavioral therapy, acupuncture, nutrition/cooking, free gym memberships and Enneagram personality typing. Opportunities for social experiences, like art viewing guided by an expert at a local museum, were also offered. The sessions occurred four times per year.
Across the board, the most cited stressors leading to burnout were work demands, board exams and relationships with friends and family. However, among those who participated in the program, rates of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization were generally low, while rates of personal achievement were moderate to high. Fourth year residents reported the highest rates of burnout and lowest rates of resilience, while third year residents displayed the most resilience.
Barriers preventing residents from taking part in various wellness initiatives also were brought to light in the survey responses. Fatigue, competing responsibilities and not knowing where to start were the most common reasons residents reported not being able to prioritize their well-being. This was more common among fourth- and fifth-year residents—years that are particularly challenging due to higher call burden, preparation to take boards and the process of applying for fellowship, the authors wrote.
It should be noted that two out of the three years of data collection took place at the height of COVID-19. Despite this, the authors did not observe statistical differences in burnout scores among the residents who participated in the wellness curriculum before and after the onset of the pandemic.
The study abstract is available here.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.