Effect of a Life Coaching Intervention on the Well-being and Distress of Physicians
Study Details
Study Description
Brief Summary
There is a widespread epidemic of distress and burnout (i.e., extreme distress) among Canadian physicians. Burnout is costly to physicians, patients, and healthcare organizations as it compromises physicians' own health and reduces their capacity to deliver high quality, safe care to patients. Life coaching delivered by certified coaches is a personal development tool. Life coaching has been proven to help individuals maximize their strengths and skills to handle stressors, regain control over their lives, act according to their core values, and achieve their full potential, consequently reducing their vulnerability to burnout. The investigators will evaluate life coaching for physicians' well-being in the current Canadian context. Physicians from centres in Canada will be randomly assigned to life coaching (intervention) or no coaching (control) group. The coaching group will receive a 1-hour initial coaching session followed by five 30-minute coaching sessions occurring at a frequency of every 2 to 3 weeks within 5 months (total of 3.5 coaching hours). All coaching sessions will be delivered virtually by certified life coaches. The investigators will assess the impact of coaching on physician distress and quality of life before and after the intervention.
| Condition or Disease | Intervention/Treatment | Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
Study Design
Arms and Interventions
| Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
|---|---|
| Experimental: Coaching Participants randomized to the coaching group will receive a 1-hour initial professional coaching session followed by five 30-minute professional coaching sessions occurring at a goal frequency of every 2 to 3 weeks within 5 months (total of 3.5 coaching hours). All coaching sessions will be conducted individually (i.e. between one coach and one participant). Participants will be able to request coaching on any topic to individualize the intervention, but the general structure of the sessions will be standardized across participants. All coaching sessions will be performed over the phone or virtual web meeting as standard in coaching practices. |
Behavioral: Life Coaching
Sessions with a professional life coach.
|
| No Intervention: Control Participants randomized to the control group will receive "no intervention" but will be asked to complete the distress and wellness survey at the same time points as participants in the intervention group. Participants in the control group will receive the life coaching intervention after the statistical analysis is completed. |
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
- Change in Quality of Life score at 5 months [5 months]
Assessed using the reduced version of the World Health Organization (WHO) Quality of Life (QOL) questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF), one of the most widely used questionnaires for assessing adult QOL, including among healthcare professionals.
Secondary Outcome Measures
- Change in Burnout score at 5 months [5 months]
Measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Minimum score 0, maximum score 132. A higher score is worse, i.e., more burnout.
- Change in Resilience score at 5 months [5 months]
Measured using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Sale. Minimum score 0, maximum score 100. A higher score is better, i.e., more resilience.
- Change in Job Satisfaction score at 5 months [5 months]
Measured using the Global Job Satisfaction subscale of the Physician Job Satisfaction Scale. Minimum score 12, maximum score 60. A higher score is better, i.e., more satisfied.
- Change in Job Engagement score at 5 months [5 months]
Measured using the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. Minimum score 0, maximum score 102. A higher score is better, i.e., better engagement.
- Change in Job Empowerment and Meaning score at 5 months [Baseline and 5 months]
Measured using the Empowerment at Work Scale. Minimum score is 12, maximum score is 84. A higher score is better, i.e., higher empowerment.
- Absence from work due to mental or physical illness [Baseline]
Measured as the number of days reported by participants.
- Absence from work due to mental or physical illness [5 months]
Measured as the number of days reported by participants.
Eligibility Criteria
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
-
Registered staff physician, resident, or fellow
-
Currently practicing in Ontario in primary or acute care
Exclusion Criteria:
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Previously received life coaching in the last 5 years
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Currently receiving another form of wellness intervention (e.g., psychotherapy)
Contacts and Locations
Locations
| Site | City | State | Country | Postal Code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Ottawa Hospital | Ottawa | Ontario | Canada | K1Y4E9 |
Sponsors and Collaborators
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
- Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society
- University of Ottawa
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Sylvain Boet, MD, PhD, The Ottawa Hospital
Study Documents (Full-Text)
None provided.More Information
Publications
None provided.- 20210617-01H