TY - JOUR
T1 - A Brief Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Primary Care Physicians
T2 - A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
AU - Schroeder, David A.
AU - Stephens, Elizabeth
AU - Colgan, Dharmakaya
AU - Hunsinger, Matthew
AU - Rubin, Dan
AU - Christopher, Michael S.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016, © 2016 The Author(s).
PY - 2018/1/1
Y1 - 2018/1/1
N2 - Primary care physicians experience high rates of burnout, which results in diminished quality of life, poorer quality of care, and workforce attrition. In this randomized controlled trial, our primary aim was to examine the impact of a brief mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) on burnout, stress, mindfulness, compassion, and resilience among physicians. A total of 33 physicians completed the baseline assessment and were randomized to the Mindful Medicine Curriculum (MMC; n = 17) or waitlist control group (n = 16). Participants completed self-report measures at baseline, post-MBI, and 3-month follow-up. We also analyzed satisfaction with doctor communication (DCC) and overall doctor rating (ODR) data from patients of the physicians in our sample. Participants in the MMC group reported significant improvements in stress (P <.001), mindfulness (P =.05), emotional exhaustion (P =.004), and depersonalization (P =.01) whereas in the control group, there were no improvements on these outcomes. Although the MMC had no impact on patient-reported DCC or ODR, among the entire sample at baseline, DCC and ODR were significantly correlated with several physician outcomes, including resilience and personal achievement. Overall, these findings suggest that a brief MBI can have a positive impact on physician well-being and potentially enhance patient care.
AB - Primary care physicians experience high rates of burnout, which results in diminished quality of life, poorer quality of care, and workforce attrition. In this randomized controlled trial, our primary aim was to examine the impact of a brief mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) on burnout, stress, mindfulness, compassion, and resilience among physicians. A total of 33 physicians completed the baseline assessment and were randomized to the Mindful Medicine Curriculum (MMC; n = 17) or waitlist control group (n = 16). Participants completed self-report measures at baseline, post-MBI, and 3-month follow-up. We also analyzed satisfaction with doctor communication (DCC) and overall doctor rating (ODR) data from patients of the physicians in our sample. Participants in the MMC group reported significant improvements in stress (P <.001), mindfulness (P =.05), emotional exhaustion (P =.004), and depersonalization (P =.01) whereas in the control group, there were no improvements on these outcomes. Although the MMC had no impact on patient-reported DCC or ODR, among the entire sample at baseline, DCC and ODR were significantly correlated with several physician outcomes, including resilience and personal achievement. Overall, these findings suggest that a brief MBI can have a positive impact on physician well-being and potentially enhance patient care.
KW - burnout
KW - mindfulness
KW - perceived stress
KW - resilience
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85040744841&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85040744841&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1559827616629121
DO - 10.1177/1559827616629121
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85040744841
SN - 1559-8276
VL - 12
SP - 83
EP - 91
JO - American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine
JF - American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine
IS - 1
ER -