Virtual Care Integration: Balancing Physician Well-Being

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Medical Practice
• Health and Well-being

Background:

• Self-determination theory (SDT) posits that autonomy, competence, and relatedness are vital for well-being.
• Physician well-being has declined amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and increased virtual care adoption.
• The study investigates the link between workplace psychological needs and physician well-being in the context of virtual care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between workplace need fulfillment and physician well-being.
• To assess how virtual care use impacts physician psychological needs and overall well-being.
• To provide evidence-based recommendations for supporting physicians during the integration of virtual care.

Main Methods:

• Online survey methodology employed with 156 family physicians in Alberta, Canada.
• Data collected between March and June 2022.
• Correlational and regression analyses used to evaluate workplace need satisfaction/frustration, well-being, and virtual care frequency.

Main Results:

• Increased virtual care use correlated with decreased relatedness satisfaction among physicians.
• Frustration of autonomy and competence needs negatively impacted physical well-being.
• Frustration of competence and relatedness needs negatively affected psychological and relational well-being.

Conclusions:

• Study findings support SDT principles regarding basic psychological needs.
• Emphasizes the critical importance of supporting physician autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
• Recommends physicians reflect on how virtual care use aligns with their basic psychological needs.