How can burnout among physicians be reduced in a work environment characterized by ongoing workload and stress? And can individual coaching delivered by physicians who have received professional coaching training reduce burnout and improve well-being, professional fulfillment, and work engagement?
This study is a randomized clinical trial conducted among 138 physicians. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups: an intervention group that received six individual coaching sessions over a three-month period, delivered by peer physicians who had received professional coaching training, and a control group that received the organization’s standard well-being and burnout resources. The aim of the study was to examine the effects of coaching on burnout, well-being, professional fulfillment, work engagement, and additional well-being outcomes.
The findings showed that physicians who received individual coaching demonstrated significant improvements compared with the control group across several key outcomes. Overall burnout decreased by 21.6%, whereas the control group experienced a 2.5% increase. Interpersonal disengagement decreased by 30.1% in the coaching group, compared with a 4.1% increase in the control group. In addition, professional fulfillment increased by 10.7%, and work engagement increased by 6.3%, while the control group showed no change in professional fulfillment and work engagement decreased by 2.2%. In contrast, no significant differences were found between the groups in quality of life, self-valuation, or the impact of work on personal relationships.
The researchers conclude that individual coaching delivered by peer physicians who have received professional coaching training is an effective strategy for reducing burnout and interpersonal disengagement and improving professional fulfillment and work engagement among physicians. The study’s main contribution is that it provides evidence from a randomized clinical trial that a professionally delivered peer coaching program implemented within a healthcare system can serve as an evidence-based tool for addressing physician burnout and improving key aspects of their professional well-being.
Citation:
Kiser, Stephanie B., J. David Sterns, Po Ying Lai, Nora K. Horick, and Kerri Palamara. 2024. “Physician Coaching by Professionally Trained Peers for Burnout and Well-Being: A Randomized Clinical Trial.” JAMA Network Open 7 (4): e245645.