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Journal of Wellness

Funder

The author(s) received no specific funding for this work

Conflict of Interest

The author(s) have no conflict of interest to declare for this work

Abstract

Introduction: Physician wellness is an important factor in the delivery of safe, effective and humanistic patient care. There is compelling data describing the widespread prevalence of physician burnout and its subsequent adverse impact on patient care, healthcare costs, and relationships. Initiatives to improve wellness are necessary to maintain the healthcare work force as well as to ensure high-quality care. This project investigated faculty physicians’ attitudes and priorities regarding physician wellness within the department of Pediatrics at a single-center academic institution.

Methods: A survey was created and distributed via e-mail to all faculty physicians employed within the Department of Pediatrics in 2019. Participants were asked to rate their agreement with statements regarding workplace wellness and to prioritize the potential allocation of resources designed to improve their satisfaction and wellness at work. Data were analyzed using Excel™ for quantitative and descriptive statistics.

Results: 87 (74%) faculty members responded to the survey, with respondents representing all faculty tracks and ranks, male and female gender identities, and a wide range of years of employment. Sixty-eight percent of physicians (n=59) identified physician wellness as a problem. Faculty overwhelmingly identified “time,” “EMR” (electronic medical record) and “overworked” as the greatest impediments to workplace wellness. Thirty-nine percent (n=34) wrote “colleagues” to describe the single most positive contributing factor to their workplace wellness; and 72% (n=63) of docs indicated that resources should go to improve efficiency of practice. There was a correlation with feeling respected in the workplace and having the resources needed (R=0.28, p < 0.001), as well as feeling recognized by leaders (R=0.38, p < 0.001). Weak correlation was also identified between perceptions of wellness as a priority in the department and agreement with feeling respected (R=0.1, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: This study reveals the priorities for allocation of resources that best support Pediatric faculty wellness. Overall, the majority of respondents (72%) strongly preferred interventions that improve efficiency of practice over those that improve the culture of wellness or personal resilience. The emphasis on expanding clinical resources available to faculty members offers important insight into effective practice change for academic institutions. While improving personal resilience has become a hallmark of ‘wellness’ in the medical field, this data suggests that improving workplace efficiency is more representative of physician needs and priorities.

DOI

10.55504/2578-9333.1113

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