The Best Gift You Could Give a Resident: A Qualitative Study of Well-Being Resources and Use Following Unwanted...

In recent years, there has been increasing focus on the well-being of resident physicians. Considering the persistent problem of burnout and attrition particularly among surgical trainees, this is a well-warranted and laudable area of focus. However, despite the widespread adoption of resources available to residents through individual institutions, there is little understanding of how and why these resources are engaged or not during particularly vulnerable moments, such as following an unwanted patient event including postoperative complications and deaths.

This qualitative study explored access to and usage of resources to promote well-being following an unwanted patient outcome through semi-structured interviews of 28 general surgery residents from 14 residency programs across the United States, including community, academic, and hybrid programs. A qualitative descriptive approach was used to analyze transcripts.

Residents described 3 main types of institutional resources available to them to promote well-being, including counseling services, support from program leadership, and wellness committees. Residents also described important barriers to use for each of these resources, which limited their access and value of these resources. Finally, residents shared their recommendations for future initiatives, including additional protected time off during weekdays and regular usage of structured debrief sessions following adverse patient outcomes.

While institutional resources are commonly available to surgery residents, there remain important limitations and barriers to use, which may limit their effectiveness in supporting resident well-being in times of need. These barriers should be addressed at the program level to improve services and accessibility for residents.