Objective The novel coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) has taken an immense physical, social, and emotional toll on frontline healthcare workers. Research has documented higher levels of anxiety, depression, and burnout among healthcare workers during the pandemic. Thus, creative interventions are needed now more than ever to provide brief, accessible support to frontline workers. Virtual reality is a rapidly growing technology with potential psychological applications. In this study, we piloted a three-minute Tranquil Cinematic-VR simulation of a nature scene to lower subjective stress among frontline healthcare workers in COVID-19 treatment units. We chose to film a nature scene because of the extensive empirical literature documenting the benefits of nature exposure and health. Methods A convenience sample of frontline healthcare workers, including direct care providers, indirect care providers, and support or administrative services, were recruited from three COVID-19 units located in the United States. Inclusion criteria for participation included adults aged 18 years and older who could read and speak in English and were currently employed by the healthcare system. Participants viewed a 360-degree video capture of a lush, green nature preserve in an Oculus Go or Pico G2 4K head-mounted display. Prior to viewing the simulation, participants completed a brief demographic questionnaire and the visual analogue scale to rate their subjective stress on a 10-point scale, with 1 = ‘Not at all stressed’ to 10 = ‘Extremely stressed.’ We conducted paired t-tests to examine pre- and post-simulation changes in subjective stress as well as Kruskal-Wallis tests and Mann-Whitney U tests to examine differences by demographic variables. All analyses were conducted in SPSS statistical software version 28.0. We defined statistical significance as a p-value less than .05. Results A total of 102 individuals consented to participate in the study. Eighty-four (82.4%) participants reported providing direct patient care, 73 (71.6%) identified as women, 49 (48.0%) were between the ages of 25–34 years old, and 35 (34.3%) had prior experience with VR. The pre-simulation mean stress score was 5.5±2.2, with a range of 1 to 10. Thirty-three (32.4%) participants met the 6.8 cutoff for high stress pre-simulation. Pre-simulation stress scores did not differ by any demographic variables. Post-simulation, we observed a significant reduction in subjective stress scores from pre- to post-simulation (mean change = -2.2±1.7, t = 12.749, p < .001), with a Cohen’s d of 1.08, indicating a very large effect. Further, only four (3.9%) participants met the cutoff for high stress after the simulation. Post-simulations scores did not differ by provider type, age range, gender, or prior experience with virtual reality. Conclusions Findings from this pilot study suggest that the application of this Tranquil Cinematic-VR simulation was effective in reducing subjective stress among frontline healthcare workers in the short-term. More research is needed to compare the Tranquil Cinematic-VR simulation to a control condition and assess subjective and objective measures of stress over time.

BackgroundMedical emergencies can present to family medicine offices. For optimal patient outcomes, multiple team members must come together to provide emergency care and mobilize the appropriate resources. In-situ simulation has been used to improve provider knowledge, skills, and attitudes as well as identify latent safety threats. The aim of this training was to provide family medicine physicians, nurses, and office staff education about how to manage in-office emergencies. Specifically, we sought to clarify team members' roles, improve communication, and identify latent safety threats. MethodologyTwo different in-situ simulations were performed with debriefing sessions. The first was a pediatric patient in respiratory distress. The second was a patient who presented for shortness of breath and became unresponsive in the lobby. Physicians, nurses, and office staff responded to the emergencies and used existing equipment and protocols to medically manage each patient. A standardized return on investment in learning survey evaluating the learners' confidence in managing in-office emergencies was completed by all learners immediately prior to and after the training. ResultsThe training improved the participants' self-reported confidence in their ability to manage in-office emergencies. Additionally, participants believed they were better able to identify other team members' roles when responding to an in-office emergency. Learners were able to identify where knowledge gaps existed in current protocols, as well as aspects of the protocols that required updating. Lastly, the teams identified latent safety threats that were able to be mitigated by the practice. ConclusionsIn-situ simulation for high-risk, low-frequency in-office emergencies is a valuable tool to improve team members' confidence, identify knowledge gaps, and mitigate latent safety threats.

PURPOSE: To quantify and compare physician well-being and incidence of burnout across residency programs at our institution, emphasizing program-specific and resident-driven interventions. BACKGROUND: As the national conversation regarding physician well-being evolves, the importance of addressing physician burnout has come to the forefront. Our institution identified moderate levels of burnout across all residency programs, and thus initiated institution-wide efforts. Literature suggests utilizing organization-wide and targeted interventions together has the most significant impact on improving well-being and reducing burnout. METHODS: A Modified Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) survey is distributed annually to all residents at our institution. Results from 2015-2018 were analyzed to track changes in burnout scores. All residents participated in institution-wide interventions. Some departments initiated additional resident-determined program-specific interventions. RESULTS: Mean MBI scores qualified for moderate burnout for all programs across all years. Most programs utilizing institution-wide interventions demonstrated no change in burnout scores; while some, specifically OB/GYN, saw a statistically significant increase in burnout scores (p<0.001). Departments with program-specific interventions demonstrated decreased scores during the same time period. DISCUSSION: Residency programs utilizing targeted interventions demonstrated marked improvement in burnout scores. Amongst those without targeted interventions, OB/GYN demonstrated the largest increase in burnout, suggesting differing etiologies of burnout for individual programs, with OB/GYN being uniquely susceptible. We plan to combat this by utilizing a guided focus group of OB/GYN residents to identify drivers of burnout and specific interventions addressing these factors, using the Mayo Well-Being Index to track anticipated improvement. Continued work in evidence-based strategies addressing the challenge of burnout will ultimately produce more engaged physicians.