The Family Anesthesia Experience (FAX): Implementing a Social Support-Focused Wellness Programme Across Multiple...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Resident Wellness
• Anesthesiology Training

Background:

• Lack of social support negatively impacts medical trainees' wellness.
• Implementing wellness programs for trainees and their support persons (SPs) across institutions is unclear.
• The Family Anesthesia Experience (FAX) program was developed to enhance resident wellness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the feasibility of implementing the FAX program across multiple institutions.
• To assess the utility and impact of the FAX program on resident and SPs' well-being and communication.

Main Methods:

• The FAX program included didactics on wellness, burnout, substance use disorder, and institutional resources.
• A panel of senior residents and their SPs, along with simulation exercises, were part of the program.
• Qualitative data were collected through semistructured interviews with residents and SPs, analyzed using content analysis.

Main Results:

• Twelve diverse anesthesiology programs successfully implemented FAX with minor adaptations and minimal costs.
• FAX improved SPs' understanding of residency and communication, reduced residents' interpersonal stress, and positively modified perceptions of wellness and burnout.
• A conceptual model suggests improved SP understanding and empathy enhance resident support.

Conclusions:

• The FAX program is feasible for implementation across various anesthesiology residency programs.
• Family-oriented educational events like FAX can improve SPs' understanding of the resident role.
• This approach may effectively increase social support for medical trainees.