Universal Well-Being Assessment Associated With Increased Resident Utilization of Mental Health Resources and Decrease in Professionalism Breaches

Abstract

Background A previous study showed that residents felt a universal well-being visit to a Faculty Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) would increase self-initiated visits. It is unknown whether such program is associated with more self-initiated visits, improved professionalism, or positive well-being measures. Objective We measured internal medicine (IM) resident-initiated visits before and after the universal well-being FSAP intervention to assess for increased utilization of FSAP services and effect on professionalism and well-being measures. Methods Universally scheduled, resident-initiated, program-mandated FSAP visits for IM residents at West Virginia University were counted for years 2014–2019. Professionalism reports of all residents and IM residents were tallied. A Mann-Kendall trend test was used to estimate slope of trends. Burnout and compassion satisfaction (CS) scores were assessed from 2017–2020. Results Residents opted-out of 8 of 239 (3.3%) universally scheduled FSAP visits. Resident-initiated visits significantly increased from 0 in 2014–2015 to 23 in 2018–2019 (slope = 6.5; P = .027; 95% CI [1.0, 8.0]). Program-mandated visits significantly decreased from 12 in 2014–2015 to 3 in 2018–2019 (slope = -2.4; P = .027; 95% CI [-3.0, -1.0]). IM-attributed professionalism reports significantly decreased from 17 of 62 (31%) in 2014 to 1 of 62 (1.6%) in 2019 (slope = -5.7%; P = .024; 95% CI [-11.6%, -0.6%]). Burnout scores remained in the low range (≤ 22) and CS scores in the average-high range (38.7–42) from 2017–2020. Conclusions A universal well-being FSAP program increased resident utilization of mental health resources and was associated with fewer professionalism breaches.

A literature review of interventions for the prevention of empathic distress and burnout in medical trainees

“…They observed a signi cant increase in the number of residentinitiated visits over time and a signi cant decrease in the percentage of negative professionalism reports attributed to IM residents out of all the GME professionalism reports at their institution. They found no signi cant difference in compassion satisfaction or burnout scores [25]. Solms et al performed a quasi-experimental study in which the intervention group physicians were each paired with a professional coach.…”