Multipronged intervention for reducing burnout and increasing resiliency in an interdisciplinary care team.

The WHO classifies burnout as a syndrome ‘resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed’ and characterised by ‘feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and reduced professional efficacy’.1 Burnout is a significant factor in healthcare; it is estimated over half of the physicians experience burnout and the US health system loses US$4.6 billion a year in burnout-related turnover and loss of clinical hours.2 3 Resilience, ‘the ability to achieve an adequate and positive adjustment to adversity’,(p111)4 5 has been shown to be a protective factor against burnout and assist employees in continuing to work.4 6 Therefore, effective approaches to reducing burnout and increasing resilience can be of value to healthcare professionals and ultimately healthcare systems. Interventions found to be effective include meditation,7–9 mindfulness training,7 10–12 gratitude13 14 and increasing workflow efficiency.15 This programme evaluated the implementation of three interventions designed to reduce burnout and increase resilience among members of an interdisciplinary healthcare team. This team experienced substantial turnover over a year’s time, losing 5 of 10 members. There was a need for resiliency strategies for team members in an effort to reduce turnover and enhance professional fulfilment. This report summarises the results of these interventions. ### Interventions Three distinct interventions were administered to an eight-member interdisciplinary adult cystic fibrosis care team at an academic medical centre during weekly team meetings for 3 months. The first …