Impact of a virtual coaching program for women physicians on burnout, fulfillment, and self-valuation
Sunny Smith, Nicole H. Goldhaber, Kathryn Maysent, Ursula E. Lang, Michelle Daniel, Chris Longhurst
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Coaching has been demonstrated to be an effective physician wellness intervention. However, this evidence-based intervention has not yet been widely adopted in the physician community. Documentation and implementation research of interventions to address physician burnout in real world settings is much needed. OBJECTIVE: Assess the impact of a virtual physician coaching program in women physicians. DESIGN: Pre- and post-intervention surveys administered to participants enrolled in the program (N = 329). Effect size was calculated comparing pre- and post-intervention paired data (N = 201). PARTICIPANTS: 201 women physicians from 40 states in the United States of America and 3 international participants. INTERVENTIONS: Participants were given access to an 8 week virtual coaching program including eight individual, six small group, and 24 large group sessions. MAIN MEASURES: Stanford Professional Fulfillment Inventory (PFI) containing categories for assessing professional fulfillment, burnout, and the Clinician Self-Valuation (SV) Scale (a measure of self-compassion). KEY RESULTS: Burnout was found in 77.1% (N = 155) of participants at baseline, which reduced to 33.3% (N = 67) at completion with large effect size (Cohen's d 1.11). The percentage of participants who endorsed significant professional fulfillment started at 27.4% (N = 55) and improved to 68.2% (N = 137) with a large effect size (Cohen's d 0.95). Self-valuation improved from 17.9% (N = 36) of the participants endorsing a compassionate self-improvement perspective to 64% of the same participants eight weeks later. The self-valuation metric showed a very large effect size (Cohen's d 1.28). CONCLUSIONS: Virtual physician coaching programs led by physician coaches can decrease burnout, improve professional fulfillment, and increase self-compassion. Non-institution-based opportunities for coaching available to any physician across the United States and internationally can facilitate access to effective physician well-being interventions.