Purpose: To discuss the feasibility of implementing an open-framework wellness program for OB/GYN resident physicians, as well as to explore the effects of this program on resident wellbeing.
Background: Due to the prevalence of burnout in resident physicians, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education has established the role of residency programs to address resident wellbeing. As such, it is important to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of wellness interventions that programs can implement. An open-framework wellness program is discussed here.
Methods: 16 OB/GYN resident physicians (4 representing each post-graduate year (PGY)) were allotted one afternoon free of clinical duty per month to partake in their own wellness promoting activities, termed “Wellness Wednesday”. The residents were administered the Maslach Burnout Inventory to measure wellbeing on three subscales: Emotional Exhaustion (EE), Depersonalization (DP), and Personal Accomplishment (PA). Higher scores in the EE and DP, and lower scores in PA indicate decreased wellbeing. IRB approval was waived for the study.
Results: The response rate for the survey was 93.8% (n=15). Average subscale scores out of the maximum score were as follows: EE=18/54, DP=4.93/30, PA=41.3/48. When compared to normative data for medical professionals as well as previously published data on OB/GYN residents, these results indicate that the residents involved in this study had better overall wellbeing.
Discussions: An open-framework wellness program is a feasible program for addressing resident physician burnout. Continued research is needed to optimize the implementation of such programs and to explore their efficacy in comparison to other interventions.
Topics: CREOG & APGO Annual Meeting, 2023, Student, Resident, Faculty, Residency Director, Residency Coordinator, Professionalism, Interpersonal & Communication Skills, GME,
Christy Evans, BS; Creighton University School of Medicine; Andrea Kinnan, MD;
