There is currently a high prevalence of distress and burnout amongst physicians. This has resulted in an increased focus on physician wellness and an interest in strategies designed to mitigate distress. Currently a range of interventions are being employed. Some are focused on systemic and workplace issues, while others are directed towards individual physicians.
For individual physicians, mindfulness based interventions have shown promise. When employed over time they have been shown to reduce burnout, increase resilience, promote wellbeing, and increase the physician’s capacity for patient - centered care. Hence the impacts of mindfulness training are not limited solely to attenuating distress but also support the development of exemplary physicians.
I have trained as a Mindful Practice facilitator and have implemented mindfulness based strategies in both practicing physicians and residents in training - including the development of a mindfulness based curriculum for the Hawaii Residency Programs.
