Project title
Innovative approach for implementation of structured positive psychology interventions to improve wellbeing and resilience amongst anaesthesiologists in Hong Kong.
Country
Hong Kong
Background
Doctors' wellbeing is an integral part of quality patient care. Physician burnout has become increasingly recognised as a threat to the wellbeing of medical professionals, as well as healthcare systems and their global sustainability. A recent local survey indicated that 72.6% of Hong Kong doctors have reported personal burnout. The impact of burnout extends beyond the individual and has been shown to decrease quality of care, increase medical errors, decrease patient satisfaction, decrease productivity and professional effort, and increase staff attrition.
Professor Chan, the project's Principal Investigator, has produced a video providing further context and background for the project which can be seen here
Summary
Positive psychology – the scientific study of character strengths, positive relationships, and life purpose that enable individuals and communities to thrive and live meaningful lives – has been demonstrated to have an impact on building resilience and countering burnout. Nevertheless, the effects of such interventions have not been studied in our locality and specialty. This is particularly important for anaesthesiologists, who have been identified in the literature as a specialty with a high risk of burnout, depression, and physician suicide. It is vital to identify effective measures to counter burnout within this specialty.
Traditional psychological interventions require extensive time commitment in the form of face-to-face meetings and workshops, which physicians often find difficult in the face of busy clinical work. The study aims to utilise an original and innovative approach that incorporates technological advances to publicise positive psychology interventions amongst healthcare professionals, striking a balance between time commitment and the effectiveness of interventions.
Outcome
The study has found that bite-sized, web-based positive psychology interventions appear feasible and acceptable for time-constrained clinicians such as anaesthesiologists in Hong Kong. In this exploratory feasibility trial, PPIs designed to support the basic psychological needs described in self‑determination theory showed preliminary short‑term benefits for well‑being, but future large-scale efficacy trials should evaluate whether such effects can be sustained through complementary system-level measures, including leadership and organizational initiatives that provide autonomy-supportive environments for healthcare professionals.
The findings of the study have been pre-published in Exploring the feasibility of a web-based positive psychology program among anaesthesiologists: an explanatory sequential mixed-methods pilot study | BMC Medical Education | Springer Nature Link