Understanding and Cultivating Well-being for the Pediatrician: A compilation of the latest evidence in pediatrician well-being science

Abstract

With growing attention surrounding the importance of physician well-being, organizations are institutionalizing physician well-being efforts. Promoting well-being requires a understanding of the components, barriers and promoters of physician well-being, While other books exist in this space, many are focused on individual resilience-building strategies or are too broad to apply to specific groups of physicians, such as pediatricians. A critical gap in the existing literature is a book that uses an evidence-based model of well-being and applying this model to unique experience of pediatricians. Rather than a work-centric approach, the physician well-being model we describe in this book takes a comprehensive approach to well-being, integrating evidence and expertise from a broad body of well-being research and translating this knowledge to the lives and work of pediatricians. Further, while other texts focus on negative consequences of a lack of well-being, such as burnout, this text is organized around defining, understanding and optimizing well-being. Each chapter will provide strategies for both individual pediatricians and healthcare organizations to consider to improve pediatrician well-being at their institution. This book integrates well-being science from disciplines outside of medicine, offering innovative strategies to addressing this important issue. This is a book designed for pediatricians, health care leaders, and organizations looking to better understand and implement strategies for pediatrician well-being. The authors will take readers on a journey through the history of physician well-being leading to the current state of well-being in the context of modern medical practice, technology, society, policy and family life. Using an integrated model of physician well-being, readers will learn about the current state, solutions, tensions and future directions of physician well-being.