Abstract
Authors: Colt Williams, MD (1), Sherry Chesak, RN, MSN, PhD (2), Deirdre R. Pachman, MD (3), Ross Dierkhising, MS (4), Laura Rhee, DO (3) and Konstantinos Leventakos, MD, PhD (1)
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Introduction: Medical trainees experience a high degree of stress that predisposes them to burnout. This pilot study tested a scalable approach to deliver a validated resilience program (Stress Management and Resiliency Training (SMART)) among Hematology/Oncology fellows at an academic medical center.
Methods: This was a mixed-methods, prospective, single-arm clinical trial involving Hematology/Oncology fellows at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, USA. Four one-hour training sessions were conducted virtually with 26 fellows. Stress, burnout, and emotional resilience were measured at baseline, three months, and six months post-intervention using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-HSS), and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC2). Changes in mean scores were assessed using paired t-tests. Feasibility and acceptability data were obtained during a virtual focus group.
Results: Statistically significant improvements in mean stress (p = 0.004) and professional achievement (p < 0.001) were seen at three months post-intervention. At six months post-intervention, mean stress (p < 0.001) and professional achievement (p = 0.032) continued to improve, while improvements in emotional exhaustion (p = 0.001) and depersonalization (p < 0.001) also became significant. Focus group participants found the program beneficial and reported improved stress and work performance as a result of participation.
Conclusion: Virtual implementation of the SMART program is feasible and resulted in improvements in stress and burnout. Focus group participants found the training beneficial, reporting lower stress and improved work performance.
Affiliation:
- Department of Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
- Department of Nursing, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
- Department of Palliative Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN