The pandemic thrust a new spotlight on physician well-being and growing concerns over burnout. Now, a group of radiologists and other providers is calling on hospitals and health systems to step up and intervene.
“For too long, the onus of wellness and professional development has been placed squarely on the shoulders of the individual physician,” Vrushab Gowda, JD, BS, with the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, and co-authors warned Thursday. “Radiologists today face higher demands than ever before, driven on by technological advances, organizational complexity, and changing reimbursement patterns; it is now time for institutions to step in to support them.”
The authors propose a technique known as coaching, which shares many of the same goals as traditional counseling, as a solution. Coaches rely on active listening methods to validate client concerns, using insight and reflection to construct goals for self-improvement.
Importantly, coaching is not meant to address mental health concerns but instead seeks to promote wellness. Essentially, the authors noted, it incorporates strategies used during therapy and mentoring and has proven effective across internal medicine and surgery.
5 keys to a sustainable coaching program
1. Some organizations hire a professional firm to implement a coaching program (current gold standard), but in-house physicians are also called on to help develop initiatives.
2. Rad departments on a budget should consider developing their peer coaches around a group of senior physicians trained specifically in coaching techniques.
3. Departmental initiatives are typically offered free of charge, according to physicians who responded to a survey on the topic. Services can be offered on a monthly basis and may consist of one-on-one or group coaching sessions.
4. Natural relationships are “essential” to a successful program, the authors explained. All participants should complete a personality assessment, meet with at least two coaches, or both prior to scheduling their first session.
5. Radiology departments must check in with their coaches multiple times each year and during career milestones, including promotions, departmental transfers or upon finishing fellowship training.
“In light of its minimal costs and outsize potential to stem the tide of burnout, coaching is a tool simply too significant to be ignored,” Gowda et al. concluded. “Its manifold benefits can and should accrue to all radiologists, their trainees, and ultimately patients at large.”
Read the entire perspective published in Academic Radiology here.
Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.