[METHODS FOR BURNOUT PREVENTION AND THEIR IMPLEMENTATION IN THE COURSE FOR FAMILY MEDICINE RESIDENTS IN BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY OF THE NEGEV]

Abstract

Professional burnout of physicians is common and culminates in the residency period. Burnout affects the doctor's health and quality of life, and it is associated with worse patient outcomes and an increase in the incidence of medical errors. The Israeli Ministry of Health recently conducted a survey on the burnout of health professionals in Israel and showed the extent of the phenomena, calling on health organizations to provide actions in order to reduce or prevent it. In the Department of Family Medicine at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, there is a four-year course for family medicine residents in which we teach various clinical and psychosocial topics essential for the family medicine profession. As part of this course, we set up a program to prevent burnout. Four "mini-courses" were chosen and integrated into the course curriculum for family medicine residents: "Healers' art™", "meaning in medicine ", narrative medicine and reflective writing, mindfulness, meditation and relaxation techniques. In addition, the Balint groups continued to exist during the 3rd and 4th year of residence. Health institutions and organizations are committed, as part of the interventions to improve medical quality and patient safety, to detect and monitor the burnout of doctors and to offer changes in the work environment and interventions to prevent burnout. Although it is difficult to examine the long-term effects of these courses, the residents were very satisfied with the burnout prevention courses. There is a need to step up interventions and build a research and follow-up program to assess the short and long-term outcomes of these experiences on the physicians' well-being and patients' safety.