Balint Groups as a Workforce and Patient Experience Strategy: Lessons From Implementation

Health professionals are experiencing increased stress, isolation, and burnout that directly affect the quality and safety of patient care. To address these issues, one graduate health professions institution implemented Balint groups-structured reflective sessions focused on perspective-taking and the humanistic aspects of care. This article examines how Balint groups can be integrated into health professions education and employee wellness programs, including challenges and sustainability strategies. Outcomes included increased empathy, improved communication, reduced feelings of isolation, and renewed motivation, which help build resilience. Groups highlighted the importance of community formed through shared vulnerability and reflection facilitated by Balint-experiences often missing in fast-paced academic and clinical environments. By linking the well-being of health professional students, clinicians, and educators to patient experience, Balint groups can serve as an impactful approach to fostering a culture of reflection, compassion, and resiliency in the health professions. Establishing this culture early in students' training creates a foundation for prioritizing the humanism of care alongside the technical skills needed for quality care delivery.