Wellness for the Future: Cultural and Systems-based Challenges and Solutions

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Physician Well-being
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Burnout is a widespread issue in emergency medicine, affecting physician satisfaction and patient care.
• Physician wellness is essential for maintaining high-quality patient outcomes and ensuring career longevity.
• The 2019 Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference convened to address these critical issues.

Framework:

• The conference utilized the National Academy of Medicine's "Factors Affecting Clinician Well-Being and Resilience" model.
• This framework guided the identification of key areas requiring further research and intervention.
• Focus was placed on understanding both individual and systemic influences on physician wellness.

Implementation:

• Over 50 faculty physicians from across the U.S. attended the conference on May 14, 2019.
• Content experts presented prior research, followed by group discussions and crowdsourcing.
• Consensus concepts were consolidated and recorded for dissemination.

Implications:

• System and organizational factors were identified as having an overwhelming effect on individual physician well-being.
• Ongoing assessment of professional fulfillment throughout an emergency physician's career is vital.
• Future research should focus on interventions that promote physician flourishing and prevent burnout.