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“WISER” intervention to reduce healthcare worker burnout – 1 year follow up

Journal of Perinatology (2024)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective

Test sustainability of Web-based Implementation for the Science of Enhancing Resilience (WISER) intervention efficacy in reducing healthcare worker (HCW) emotional exhaustion (EE), a key component of burnout.

Design

One-year follow-up of WISER RCT using two cohorts (one waitlist control with shortened intervention period) of HCWs of four NICUs each, to improve HCW well-being (primary outcome: EE).

Results

In Cohorts 1 and 2, 194 and 312 WISER initiators were identified by 1-year, and 99 and 80 completed 1-year follow-up, respectively. Combined cohort results showed that relative to baseline, at 1-year WISER decreased EE (−7.07 (95%CI: −10.22, −3.92), p < 0.001), depression (−4.49 (−6.81, −2.16), p = <0.001), and improved work-life integration (6.08 (4.25, 7.90), p = <0.001). EE continued to decline between 6-month and 1-year follow-up (p = 0.022). The percentage of HCWs reporting concerning outcomes was significantly decreased for EE (−10.9% (95%CI: −17.9%, −4.9%); p < 0.001), and secondary outcomes depression and work-life integration.

Conclusion

WISER improves HCW well-being for at least 1 year.

Clinical Trials Number

NCT02603133; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02603133

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Data availability

The authors will share survey data from the study upon reasonable request to the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the HCWs at the participating institutions: it is their time, thoughtfulness, meaningful contributions, and steadfast dedication to patient-centered care that taught us so much about how to adapt and improve this intervention. In addition, we would like to thank the site principal investigators: Wendy L. Timpson, Martin J. McCaffrey, Alexis S. Davis, Mohan Pammi, Melissa Mathews, Ann R. Stark, LuAnn Papile, Eric Thomas, Michael Cotten, Amir Khan. Finally, we are grateful to the site nurse leads who helped with the intervention: Debra Brendon, Florence Chow, Marlee Crankshaw, Lisa Criscoe, Melissa DeColo, Nicole Francis, Kim Jacobs, Belinda Mathis, Nancy Morris, Krista Moses, Rebecca Schiff, Amy Toronto, and Karen Waldo.

Funding

This work was supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [R01 HD084679-01, Co-PI: Sexton and Profit].

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Perinatal Epidemiology and Health Outcomes Research Unit, Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Palo Alto, CA, USA

    Jochen Profit & Xin Cui

  2. California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative, Palo Alto, CA, USA

    Jochen Profit & Xin Cui

  3. Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Palo Alto, CA, USA

    Daniel Tawfik

  4. Department of Psychiatry, Duke University School of Medicine; Duke University Health System, Durham, NC, USA

    Kathryn C. Adair & J. Bryan Sexton

  5. Duke Center for the Advancement of Well-being Science, Duke University Health System, Durham, NC, USA

    Kathryn C. Adair & J. Bryan Sexton

Authors
  1. Jochen Profit
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  2. Xin Cui
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  3. Daniel Tawfik
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  4. Kathryn C. Adair
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  5. J. Bryan Sexton
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Contributions

Dr. Profit conceptualized and designed the study, assisted in data analysis and interpretation, critically reviewed the manuscript, and approved the final manuscript as submitted. Dr. Adair assisted in analysis and interpretation of the data, critically reviewed the manuscript, and approved the final manuscript as submitted. Dr. Tawfik assisted in analysis and interpretation of the data, critically reviewed the manuscript, and approved the final manuscript as submitted. Dr. Cui coordinated the data management and carried out the initial data analyses, critically reviewed the manuscript, and approved the final manuscript as submitted. Dr. Sexton created WISER, conceptualized and designed the study, assisted in data analysis and interpretation, critically reviewed the manuscript, and approved the final manuscript as submitted. All authors agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jochen Profit.

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Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethics approval

The study was approved by Duke University and Stanford University.

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Profit, J., Cui, X., Tawfik, D. et al. “WISER” intervention to reduce healthcare worker burnout – 1 year follow up. J Perinatol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-024-01993-5

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