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Association between Balint training and physician empathy and work satisfaction
Kari Piper Cataldo1, Katie Peeden, Mark E Geesey
1Trident Family Medicine Residency Program, Charloeston, SC, USA.
Family Medicine
|May 11, 2005
Summary
Balint training did not impact physician empathy or work satisfaction. However, physicians who attended Balint training were more likely to be satisfied with their choice of family medicine.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Family Medicine
- Physician Well-being
Background:
- Balint training is utilized in family medicine residencies to foster physician self-reflection on the physician-patient relationship.
- Objective research on the specific outcomes of Balint training remains limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- This study aimed to investigate the association between Balint training and physician empathy.
- The research also sought to determine if Balint training correlates with differences in physician work satisfaction.
Main Methods:
- The Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy and a work satisfaction survey were administered to 182 graduates of a family medicine residency program.
- Participants included 113 Balint training attendees and 69 nonattendees, surveyed using the Dillman method.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant differences were observed in mean empathy scores or overall work satisfaction between Balint attendees and nonattendees.
- While financial satisfaction showed no difference, Balint attendees reported higher likelihood of choosing family medicine again (86.1%) compared to nonattendees (55%).
Conclusions:
- Balint training was not associated with physician empathy or overall/financial work satisfaction.
- Physicians who participated in Balint training reported greater satisfaction with their career choice in family medicine.