TY - JOUR
T1 - Self-Compassion for Healthcare Communities: Exploring the Effects of a Synchronous Online Continuing Medical Education Program on Physician Burnout
AU - Gardiner, Paula
AU - Pérez Aranda, Adrián
AU - Bell, Natalie
AU - Clark, Dawn
AU - Schuman-Olivier, Zev
AU - Lin, Elizabeth H.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions, the Association for Hospital Medical Education, and the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Introduction: Physician burnout is a common problem for which self-compassion training has shown positive effects. In this program evaluation, we explore the effects of a synchronous online continuing medical education program (Self-Compassion for Healthcare Communities, SCHC) to improve physician burnout and related outcomes. Methods: The SCHC program was delivered online via Zoom and consisted of six 1-hour weekly sessions to enhance self-compassion and well-being. The primary outcome was the "burnout" subscale of the Professional Quality of Life scale; compassion satisfaction, secondary traumatic stress, self-compassion, resilience activation and decompression, and job satisfaction were evaluated, and qualitative data were also collected. Results: A total of 116 physicians attended at least one session of the program, 48 of whom completed both the preprogram and postprogram surveys. The results showed that physicians experienced a reduction in their burnout levels (P = .001) as well as improvements in compassion satisfaction (P = .027), secondary traumatic stress (P = .001), self-compassion (P < .001), resilience decompression (P = .012), and job satisfaction (P = .038). Qualitative data, obtained from a total of 91 participants who attended at least one session, indicated that participants were satisfied with the SCHC program: they found it useful for learning to be compassionate with themselves and they highly valued having the chance to connect with other colleagues who experience similar struggles. Discussion: The live online SCHC program showed benefits on physician burnout and related outcomes such as compassion satisfaction, secondary traumatic stress, self-compassion, resilience decompression, and job satisfaction. Nonetheless, in addition to individual-focused well-being programs, systemic changes in health care delivery were also deemed necessary to decrease burnout.
AB - Introduction: Physician burnout is a common problem for which self-compassion training has shown positive effects. In this program evaluation, we explore the effects of a synchronous online continuing medical education program (Self-Compassion for Healthcare Communities, SCHC) to improve physician burnout and related outcomes. Methods: The SCHC program was delivered online via Zoom and consisted of six 1-hour weekly sessions to enhance self-compassion and well-being. The primary outcome was the "burnout" subscale of the Professional Quality of Life scale; compassion satisfaction, secondary traumatic stress, self-compassion, resilience activation and decompression, and job satisfaction were evaluated, and qualitative data were also collected. Results: A total of 116 physicians attended at least one session of the program, 48 of whom completed both the preprogram and postprogram surveys. The results showed that physicians experienced a reduction in their burnout levels (P = .001) as well as improvements in compassion satisfaction (P = .027), secondary traumatic stress (P = .001), self-compassion (P < .001), resilience decompression (P = .012), and job satisfaction (P = .038). Qualitative data, obtained from a total of 91 participants who attended at least one session, indicated that participants were satisfied with the SCHC program: they found it useful for learning to be compassionate with themselves and they highly valued having the chance to connect with other colleagues who experience similar struggles. Discussion: The live online SCHC program showed benefits on physician burnout and related outcomes such as compassion satisfaction, secondary traumatic stress, self-compassion, resilience decompression, and job satisfaction. Nonetheless, in addition to individual-focused well-being programs, systemic changes in health care delivery were also deemed necessary to decrease burnout.
KW - burnout
KW - continuing medical education
KW - eHealth
KW - physicians
KW - resilience
KW - self-compassion
KW - well-being
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85205513720&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/CEH.0000000000000574
DO - 10.1097/CEH.0000000000000574
M3 - Article
C2 - 39311747
SN - 0894-1912
JO - Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions
JF - Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions
ER -