Conducting Physician Engagement Research in a Pandemic: Persevering when Burnout Mitigation Is Needed Most.
Alicia KowalskiAimee AndersonAline Rozman deMoraesJoseph ChenDiane LiuJay ParikhEduardo BrueraPublished in: Journal of palliative medicine (2024)
Background: We planned a pilot study on a physician engagement intervention, termed ECHO-MDA, using the Project ECHO framework. The study was approved and launched just as the COVID pandemic reached Texas. We pivoted to accommodate the realities of research in pandemic times. Objectives: The primary outcome was feasibility assessed by the proportion of participants attending at least 9 out of 13 ECHO-MDA sessions. Design: The study was envisioned as a randomized, wait-list pilot study exploring the impact ECHO-MDA with a planned enrollment of 50 physicians (25 per arm). Results: Due to pandemic-related challenges, 35 physicians were enrolled. Ten attended nine or more sessions. Participants indicated that the program was beneficial. Conclusion: Pandemic-related work and personal conditions likely had adverse impacts on enrollment and attendance. Launching professional wellness programs during a global crisis is challenging but can still yield benefits for participants. We offer suggestions for researchers launching professional engagement studies in unexpectedly challenging times.
Keyphrases
- sars cov
- coronavirus disease
- primary care
- magnetic resonance
- social media
- emergency department
- breast cancer cells
- diffusion weighted
- public health
- diffusion weighted imaging
- randomized controlled trial
- contrast enhanced
- quality improvement
- climate change
- magnetic resonance imaging
- cell proliferation
- cell death
- cell cycle arrest