Resident Physician Wellness Curriculum: A Study of Efficacy and Satisfaction

Background Recent literature highlights the alarming prevalence of burnout, depression, and illness during residency training; a trend that is also linked to suboptimal patient care. Dedicated wellness curricula may be one solution to this concerning issue. Purpose To determine the effect of a multi-faceted wellness curriculum during emergency medicine residency training on wellness scores and to assess resident satisfaction with the program. Methods This study was conducted via a longitudinal survey. In 2009, a faculty-derived resident wellness curriculum (F-RWC) was initiated. This program was then bolstered with a parallel resident-derived curriculum (R-RWC) one year later, in 2010. Emergency medicine residents were surveyed in 2009, 2010, and 2011 to assess wellness at baseline, after one year of the F-RWC, and after one year of combined RWCs, respectively. Surveys included two validated assessment instruments (the Brief Resident Wellness Profile (BRWP) and the SF-8^TM Health Survey), a satisfaction Likert scale, and a demographics information sheet. Results The survey response rates were 89% (n=17), 100% (n=17), and 83% (n=24) from 2009, 2010, and 2011, respectively, for a total of 58 participants. From baseline in 2009, there was a significant improvement in resident wellness, with the addition of parallel RWC by 2011, as measured by the BRWP (p=0.024). The faces scale, a subset of the BRWP, showed a trend toward benefit but did not reach statistical significance (p=0.085). There was no evidence of a statistically significant change in SF-8^TM scores over time. Participants consistently reported positive satisfaction scores with RWC initiatives. Conclusions Dedicated RWC, with input from both faculty and resident physicians, improved wellness during residency training with a high degree of participant satisfaction. Such programs are needed to support resident physicians during their training.