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.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
180
Sessions with a professional life coach.
The Ottawa Hospital
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
RECRUITINGChange in Quality of Life score at 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.
Time frame: 5 months
Change in Burnout score at 5 months
Measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Minimum score 0, maximum score 132. A higher score is worse, i.e., more burnout.
Time frame: 5 months
Change in Resilience score at 5 months
Measured using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Sale. Minimum score 0, maximum score 100. A higher score is better, i.e., more resilience.
Time frame: 5 months
Change in Job Satisfaction score at 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.
Time frame: 5 months
Change in Job Engagement score at 5 months
Measured using the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. Minimum score 0, maximum score 102. A higher score is better, i.e., better engagement.
Time frame: 5 months
Change in Job Empowerment and Meaning score at 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.
Time frame: Baseline and 5 months
Absence from work due to mental or physical illness
Measured as the number of days reported by participants.
Time frame: Baseline
Absence from work due to mental or physical illness
Measured as the number of days reported by participants.
Time frame: 5 months
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