Evaluating One Strategy for Including Reflection in Medical Education and Practice

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Professional Development
• Healthcare Communication

Background:

• Reflective writing in medicine facilitates analysis, interpretation, and learning from clinical experiences.
• Healthcare professionals often face burnout, overwhelm, and disconnection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the benefits of a weekly reflective writing listserv within a medical department.
• To assess the impact of shared clinical narratives on empathy, connection, and professional fulfillment.

Main Methods:

• A weekly reflective writing listserv was implemented in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health.
• A 19-item questionnaire was administered to 402 department members in summer 2014.
• Response rates were 40% for readers (161/402) and 41% for writers (50/122).

Main Results:

• 84% of readers learned from colleagues' clinical handling of situations; 79% felt more connected.
• 83% of readers reported increased empathy and patient-centeredness.
• 73% of writers celebrated patient/research/teaching encounters; 72% gained better perspective on patient experiences.

Conclusions:

• A reflective writing listserv can be an effective strategy to support clinicians and learners.
• This initiative may improve feelings of fulfillment and combat provider burnout and disconnection.
• Encouraging reflective practice can foster a more connected and empathetic healthcare environment.