Interventions on reducing burnout in physicians and nurses: A systematic review

Area of Science:

• Medical research
• Healthcare management
• Occupational health

Background:

• Burnout significantly degrades hospital staff performance.
• Targeted interventions can mitigate burnout in physicians and nurses.
• Improving service quality in hospitals is linked to reduced staff burnout.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively review interventions aimed at reducing burnout among hospital physicians and nurses.
• To understand the effectiveness of various burnout reduction strategies.
• To identify key interventions for improving healthcare professional well-being.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and pretest-posttest studies.
• Searched major databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane, Web of Science) from January 2000 to June 2017.
• Included studies focused on practicing physicians and nurses within hospital settings.

Main Results:

• 12 RCTs and 6 pretest-posttest studies met inclusion criteria.
• Interventions included team-based programs, EMH-approach, and coping/communication skills training.
• Most interventions positively impacted burnout, though some showed no significant effect.

Conclusions:

• Effective burnout interventions include enhancing communication, teamwork, and participatory programs.
• Psychological interventions like yoga, meditation, and mindfulness are beneficial.
• A combined approach to burnout treatment is recommended for long-term mental health improvement.