ALS Health care provider wellness

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Healthcare Management
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Growing concern for health care provider (HCP) wellness and burnout.
• Limited research on HCP wellness within Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) care.

Purpose of the Study:

• Assess burnout and resiliency rates among ALS care providers.
• Identify challenges and rewards associated with providing ALS care.

Main Methods:

• Survey distributed to Canadian ALS center physicians for network HCPs.
• Utilized validated measures: Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) and Single Item Burnout Score (SIBS).
• Collected data on demographics, challenges, rewards, COVID-19 impact, and workplace support needs.

Main Results:

• 47% of 85 respondents reported burnout, with higher rates in females.
• Most participants (56.5%) were medium resilient copers; resiliency did not correlate with burnout.
• Key challenges included patient progression and emotional interactions; rewards stemmed from patient relationships and care provision.

Conclusions:

• High burnout rates and significant challenges necessitate increased resources and support for ALS HCPs.
• Need for enhanced team-building, debriefing, and formal training on emotional exhaustion and burnout.
• Prioritizing HCP wellness is essential for sustainable ALS care delivery.