We Care: A Wellness Intervention Project for Palliative Care Physicians

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Palliative Care
• Physician Well-being

Background:

• Palliative care physicians are experiencing a significant trend toward burnout.
• Burnout in this specialized field can negatively impact patient care and physician retention.
• Existing strategies may not be sufficient to address the unique stressors faced by palliative care physicians.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel five-session curriculum designed to enhance resilience in palliative care fellows.
• To equip fellows with practical coping skills and explore the role of spirituality in mitigating burnout.
• To provide training within an inpatient palliative care setting.

Main Methods:

• Development of a structured five-session educational curriculum.
• Inclusion of modules on resiliency tools, coping strategies, and spiritual well-being.
• Implementation of the curriculum for palliative care fellows in an inpatient environment.

Main Results:

• Preliminary findings indicate a positive reception to the curriculum among palliative care fellows.
• Participant feedback suggests the integrated approach addressing resilience, coping, and spirituality is beneficial.
• The curriculum's impact on burnout rates requires further investigation.

Conclusions:

• The developed curriculum shows promise as an intervention to support palliative care physician well-being.
• Further research is warranted to rigorously evaluate the curriculum's effectiveness in reducing burnout.
• This initiative highlights the importance of proactive strategies in physician training and support.