Coaching Pediatricians for Wellbeing: A Pilot Feasibility and Acceptability Study

Organization-sponsored interventions have the potential to promote, and destigmatize seeking help for, wellbeing. Our study objective was to explore the acceptability and feasibility of a coaching intervention to improve wellbeing among faculty.

We conducted a pilot, pre/post design, study in a convenience sample of pediatric faculty at an academic medical center. Participants were offered ≤6 live virtual coaching sessions at the participant's discretion. In addition, a novel wellbeing individual development plan (WB-IDP) was distributed to participants. Primary outcomes were feasibility of the intervention, defined as completing ≥1 coaching session and acceptability measured by anonymous feedback and use of the WB-IDP. Secondary outcomes were wellbeing (WHO Wellbeing Index (WHO-5)), stress (Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)), and work engagement (Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES)), at baseline, 3, and 6 months.

All enrollees (N = 28) completed at least one, 18/28 (64%) completed at least four, and 9/28 (32%) completed six coaching sessions. Of 28 participants, 11 (39%) started a WB-IDP and 5/28 (18%) completed and implemented the plan. The aggregate WHO-5 score showed a statistically significant change from baseline (53.3) to month 6 (64.3) (P < .01). Fourteen 14/27 (52%) participants had an improvement of ≥10 points in WHO-5 score between baseline and month 6. No other significant changes were observed.

Individualized certified coaching for wellbeing was successfully implemented and associated with a significant increase in wellbeing. We speculate that wellbeing coaching can be promoted by faculty development programs in university and health care settings and has potential to improve organizational outcomes.

Pediatrician Wellbeing Program, NCT04805294, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04805294?term=pediatrician&cond=wellbeing&cntry=US&state=US%3ANC&draw=2&rank=1.