Mindful practice in medicine: A global program to reduce burnout and improve healthcare quality

Abstract

Introduction: The growing prevalence of burnout among healthcare professionals has emerged as a global crisis, adversely affecting individual well-being, patient care, and healthcare systems while imposing significant economic burdens. Addressing this systemic problem requires innovative, scalable interventions that target the root causes of burnout. Mindful Practice in Medicine (MPIM), developed at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, represents a promising approach. MPIM fosters self-awareness, emotional intelligence, teamwork, and compassion. With over 20 years of evidence-based implementation, MPIM has demonstrated substantial improvements in clinician well-being, burnout, empathy, teamwork, and patient-centered care. Methods: This global perspective highlights the program’s global impact through case studies of MPIM-trained facilitators who have embeded these programs into undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate medical education as well as into institutional healthcare systems. Results: Examples from Switzerland, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada illustrate MPIM’s adaptability and effectiveness for fostering systemic cultural changes, restoring joy in medicine, and promoting organisational resilience. Conclusion: These efforts underscore the potential of MPIM to catalyse a global paradigm shift in healthcare, improving outcomes for both professionals and patients. Further research and strategic scaling are necessary to maximise MPIM’s reach and sustainability and to address the intertwined crises of professional burnout and healthcare quality.