Physician Wellness Interventions and Distress Assessment During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Abstract

Introduction: Physician burnout and interventions to decrease physician burnout on organizational and individual levels have been theorized and implemented. The Coronavirus pandemic has increased the need to continue physician burnout assessment and increase wellness programming. Few studies have had the opportunity to address physician wellness amidst the Coronavirus pandemic using the strategy of multi-dimensional interventions. The purpose of this study is to document interventions to reduce burnout and stress among physicians during the Coronavirus pandemic while assessing overall physician distress and well-being. Methods: A cohort study of 304 pediatric physicians at a large healthcare organization in the United States was designed to measure distress in physicians using the Well-Being Index. Participation was voluntary. A third-party collected and disseminated de-identified aggregate data through a secure website portal. Organizational and individual wellness initiatives were introduced to the cohort population and voluntary participation tracked. Results: 145 (48%) Well-Being Index assessments were completed between March 16 and September 30, 2020. Mean distress over the 6-month period was 1.22, with high distress indicated by a score greater than 3.0. Monthly averages show a 111.5% decrease in distress scores during the time period. Over 91% of respondents reported feeling “somewhat” or “very supported” by the organization, and these respondents had overall low mean distress scores. Conclusion: Overall, the cohort population experienced decreased distress levels at program initiation and during the observation period compared to national physician distress data. Contributing factors may be participation in various organizational and individual interventions to target well-being, perceived support from the organization, or regional implications of the Coronavirus pandemic on population health.