Exploration of What Pediatric Residents Find Most Helpful From Their Programs in Facilitating Well-Being.

Abstract

Objective: Burnout is highly prevalent among residents, and although many studied interventions have targeted burnout by trying to promote well-being, it remains a substantial problem. This study utilized data from the Pediatric Resident Burnout-Resilience Study Consortium (PRB-RSC) Annual Burnout Survey to determine which program interventions categorical and noncategorical (medicine-pediatrics and combined programs) pediatric residents found most helpful to promote well-being.

Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of an open-ended question on the PRB-RSC Annual Burnout Survey in 2019 and 2020: "What is the most helpful thing that your program provides you for wellness?" We performed thematic and content analysis on open-ended responses and compared distribution of themes and subthemes between years using a Chi-square test.

Results: In 2019, 1401 (44%) of 3159 residents from 44 programs responded to the open-ended question, with 771 (49%) of 1563 residents from 21 programs responding in 2020. Residents found wellness interventions within 5 themes to be the most helpful. Promotes positive work environment and Optimizes scheduling were mentioned most frequently, but residents also valued when a program Facilitates traditional wellness interventions, Offers financial benefits, and Prioritizes education. Themes and subthemes were mentioned with the same frequency in both 2019 and 2020.

Conclusions: The results of this study show which institutional interventions residents have found to be most helpful to their well-being. Program leaders can use these data as a framework to discuss interventions with their residents, allowing them to tailor wellness programs and use limited available resources for what residents believe is most impactful.