Evaluating a Canadian tertiary care emergency department physician wellness program

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Management
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Physician moral distress is a growing concern in emergency medicine.
• An academic, tertiary care hospital established a physician wellness program in 2018 to address this.
• A 5-year program evaluation framework was developed to assess its impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a physician wellness program over its first five years.
• To identify successful and unsuccessful wellness initiatives within the program.
• To provide a framework and operational example for other emergency departments.

Main Methods:

• A utilization-focused logic model was employed to analyze program inputs, outputs, and outcomes.
• Data sources included physician feedback (qualitative and quantitative), participation data, exit surveys, and committee engagement.
• Self-reported wellness and participation data were collected periodically over five years.

Main Results:

• In 2023, physicians rated their occupational wellness at 5.93/10.
• Supportive colleagues (58%) were the primary protective factor; emergency department crowding (42%) was a key negative factor.
• 65% of respondents felt the program positively impacted their wellness; initiatives addressing barriers were most valued.

Conclusions:

• Initiatives addressing occupational wellness barriers and recognizing physician accomplishments were most impactful.
• The program evaluation and logic model guided future planning towards enhancing wellness and improving patient relations.
• The program serves as a scalable model for other tertiary care emergency departments seeking to implement or improve wellness initiatives.