Exploration of What Pediatric Residents Find Most Helpful From Their Programs in Facilitating Well-Being

Burnout is highly prevalent among residents, and although many studied interventions have targeted burnout by trying to promote well-being, it remains a substantial problem. This study utilized data from the Pediatric Resident Burnout-Resilience Study Consortium (PRB-RSC) Annual Burnout Survey to determine which program interventions categorical and noncategorical (medicine-pediatrics and combined programs) pediatric residents found most helpful to promote well-being.

We conducted a secondary analysis of an open-ended question on the PRB-RSC Annual Burnout Survey in 2019 and 2020: "What is the most helpful thing that your program provides you for wellness?" We performed thematic and content analysis on open-ended responses and compared distribution of themes and subthemes between years using a Chi-square test.

In 2019, 1401 (44%) of 3159 residents from 44 programs responded to the open-ended question, with 771 (49%) of 1563 residents from 21 programs responding in 2020. Residents found wellness interventions within 5 themes to be the most helpful. Promotes positive work environment and Optimizes scheduling were mentioned most frequently, but residents also valued when a program Facilitates traditional wellness interventions, Offers financial benefits, and Prioritizes education. Themes and subthemes were mentioned with the same frequency in both 2019 and 2020.

The results of this study show which institutional interventions residents have found to be most helpful to their well-being. Program leaders can use these data as a framework to discuss interventions with their residents, allowing them to tailor wellness programs and use limited available resources for what residents believe is most impactful.