Five Practical Video Modules to Reduce Physician Burnout Through Mindfulness and Systematic Review of Evidence

Burnout, characterized as depersonalization, emotional exhaustion, and a sense of reduced personal efficacy, is an ongoing problem faced by surgeons and medical trainees at all levels of training. Increasing evidence suggests that mindfulness interventions are effective in reducing burnout and stress among healthcare providers. With a goal to build our own programs, we sought to evaluate the evidence on mindfulness interventions among physicians and trainees. What we found went beyond a systematic review and has advanced our practices to a larger understanding of the interconnectivity between mindfulness, meditation, emotional intelligence, and leadership. In this article, we outline mindfulness and published interventions including their efficacy in reducing physician burnout and stress through a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (32 trials published between 2011 and 2023). In 4 distinct modules including 5 supplemental video modules, concepts that promote mindfulness are reviewed, providing a foundation for a mindfulness practice. These video modules include: (1) what mindfulness and meditation are, (2) a 5-minute meditation, (3) the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching energy leadership strategy, (4) building resilience through emotional intelligence, and (5) translating mindfulness into practice. This special topic aimed to open the conversation among plastic surgeons about burnout and the role that mindfulness can have to reduce its negative effects on our practices and our lives.