Digital Mindfulness Training for Burnout Reduction in Physicians: Clinician-Driven Approach
BackgroundPhysician burnout is widespread in health care systems, with harmful consequences on physicians, patients, and health care organizations. Mindfulness training (MT) has proven effective in reducing burnout; however, its time-consuming requirements often pose challeng...
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JMIR Publications
2025-01-01
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| author | Lia Antico Judson Brewer |
| author_facet | Lia Antico Judson Brewer |
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BackgroundPhysician burnout is widespread in health care systems, with harmful consequences on physicians, patients, and health care organizations. Mindfulness training (MT) has proven effective in reducing burnout; however, its time-consuming requirements often pose challenges for physicians who are already struggling with their busy schedules.
ObjectiveThis study aimed to design a short and pragmatic digital MT program with input from clinicians specifically to address burnout and to test its efficacy in physicians.
MethodsTwo separate nonrandomized pilot studies were conducted. In the first study, 27 physicians received the digital MT in a podcast format, while in the second study, 29 physicians and nurse practitioners accessed the same training through a free app-based platform. The main outcome measure was cynicism, one dimension of burnout. The secondary outcome measures were emotional exhaustion (the second dimension of burnout), anxiety, depression, intolerance of uncertainty, empathy (personal distress, perspective taking, and empathic concern subscales), self-compassion, and mindfulness (nonreactivity and nonjudgment subscales). In the second study, worry, sleep disturbances, and difficulties in emotion regulation were also measured. Changes in outcomes were assessed using self-report questionnaires administered before and after the treatment and 1 month later as follow-up.
ResultsBoth studies showed that MT decreased cynicism (posttreatment: 33% reduction; P≤.04; r≥0.41 and follow-up: 33% reduction; P≤.04; r≥0.45), while improvements in emotional exhaustion were observed solely in the first study (25% reduction, P=.02, r=.50 at posttreatment; 25% reduction, P=.008, r=.62 at follow-up). There were also significant reductions in anxiety (P≤.01, r≥0.49 at posttreatment; P≤.01, r≥0.54 at follow-up), intolerance of uncertainty (P≤.03, r≥.57 at posttreatment; P<.001, r≥0.66 at follow-up), and personal distress (P=.03, r=0.43 at posttreatment; P=.03, r=0.46 at follow-up), while increases in self-compassion (P≤.02, r≥0.50 at posttreatment; P≤.006, r≥0.59 at follow-up) and mindfulness (nonreactivity: P≤.001, r≥0.69 at posttreatment; P≤.004, r≥0.58 at follow-up; nonjudgment: P≤.009, r≥0.50 at posttreatment; P≤.03, r≥0.60 at follow-up). In addition, the second study reported significant decreases in worry (P=.04, r=0.40 at posttreatment; P=.006, r=0.58 at follow-up), sleep disturbances (P=.04, r=0.42 at posttreatment; P=.01, r=0.53 at follow-up), and difficulties in emotion regulation (P=.005, r=0.54 at posttreatment; P<.001, r=0.70 at follow-up). However, no changes were observed over time for depression or perspective taking and empathic concern. Finally, both studies revealed significant positive correlations between burnout and anxiety (cynicism: r≥0.38; P≤.04; emotional exhaustion: r≥0.58; P≤.001).
ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this research is the first where clinicians were involved in designing an intervention targeting burnout. These findings suggest that this digital MT serves as a viable and effective tool for alleviating burnout and anxiety among physicians.
Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT06145425; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06145425 |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-425cac7f57034319bfe8a2fda4061b6b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2561-326X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
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| series | JMIR Formative Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-425cac7f57034319bfe8a2fda4061b6b2025-01-24T21:31:39ZengJMIR PublicationsJMIR Formative Research2561-326X2025-01-019e6319710.2196/63197Digital Mindfulness Training for Burnout Reduction in Physicians: Clinician-Driven ApproachLia Anticohttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-7911-0381Judson Brewerhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-8984-6704 BackgroundPhysician burnout is widespread in health care systems, with harmful consequences on physicians, patients, and health care organizations. Mindfulness training (MT) has proven effective in reducing burnout; however, its time-consuming requirements often pose challenges for physicians who are already struggling with their busy schedules. ObjectiveThis study aimed to design a short and pragmatic digital MT program with input from clinicians specifically to address burnout and to test its efficacy in physicians. MethodsTwo separate nonrandomized pilot studies were conducted. In the first study, 27 physicians received the digital MT in a podcast format, while in the second study, 29 physicians and nurse practitioners accessed the same training through a free app-based platform. The main outcome measure was cynicism, one dimension of burnout. The secondary outcome measures were emotional exhaustion (the second dimension of burnout), anxiety, depression, intolerance of uncertainty, empathy (personal distress, perspective taking, and empathic concern subscales), self-compassion, and mindfulness (nonreactivity and nonjudgment subscales). In the second study, worry, sleep disturbances, and difficulties in emotion regulation were also measured. Changes in outcomes were assessed using self-report questionnaires administered before and after the treatment and 1 month later as follow-up. ResultsBoth studies showed that MT decreased cynicism (posttreatment: 33% reduction; P≤.04; r≥0.41 and follow-up: 33% reduction; P≤.04; r≥0.45), while improvements in emotional exhaustion were observed solely in the first study (25% reduction, P=.02, r=.50 at posttreatment; 25% reduction, P=.008, r=.62 at follow-up). There were also significant reductions in anxiety (P≤.01, r≥0.49 at posttreatment; P≤.01, r≥0.54 at follow-up), intolerance of uncertainty (P≤.03, r≥.57 at posttreatment; P<.001, r≥0.66 at follow-up), and personal distress (P=.03, r=0.43 at posttreatment; P=.03, r=0.46 at follow-up), while increases in self-compassion (P≤.02, r≥0.50 at posttreatment; P≤.006, r≥0.59 at follow-up) and mindfulness (nonreactivity: P≤.001, r≥0.69 at posttreatment; P≤.004, r≥0.58 at follow-up; nonjudgment: P≤.009, r≥0.50 at posttreatment; P≤.03, r≥0.60 at follow-up). In addition, the second study reported significant decreases in worry (P=.04, r=0.40 at posttreatment; P=.006, r=0.58 at follow-up), sleep disturbances (P=.04, r=0.42 at posttreatment; P=.01, r=0.53 at follow-up), and difficulties in emotion regulation (P=.005, r=0.54 at posttreatment; P<.001, r=0.70 at follow-up). However, no changes were observed over time for depression or perspective taking and empathic concern. Finally, both studies revealed significant positive correlations between burnout and anxiety (cynicism: r≥0.38; P≤.04; emotional exhaustion: r≥0.58; P≤.001). ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this research is the first where clinicians were involved in designing an intervention targeting burnout. These findings suggest that this digital MT serves as a viable and effective tool for alleviating burnout and anxiety among physicians. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT06145425; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06145425https://formative.jmir.org/2025/1/e63197 |
| spellingShingle | Lia Antico Judson Brewer Digital Mindfulness Training for Burnout Reduction in Physicians: Clinician-Driven Approach JMIR Formative Research |
| title | Digital Mindfulness Training for Burnout Reduction in Physicians: Clinician-Driven Approach |
| title_full | Digital Mindfulness Training for Burnout Reduction in Physicians: Clinician-Driven Approach |
| title_fullStr | Digital Mindfulness Training for Burnout Reduction in Physicians: Clinician-Driven Approach |
| title_full_unstemmed | Digital Mindfulness Training for Burnout Reduction in Physicians: Clinician-Driven Approach |
| title_short | Digital Mindfulness Training for Burnout Reduction in Physicians: Clinician-Driven Approach |
| title_sort | digital mindfulness training for burnout reduction in physicians clinician driven approach |
| url | https://formative.jmir.org/2025/1/e63197 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT liaantico digitalmindfulnesstrainingforburnoutreductioninphysicianscliniciandrivenapproach AT judsonbrewer digitalmindfulnesstrainingforburnoutreductioninphysicianscliniciandrivenapproach |