None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Over the last decade there has been increasing recognition of psychological distress experienced by doctors (Mata, Ramos et al. 2015, Zhou, Carder et al. 2017). Emerging evidence suggests that increasing numbers of doctors find it difficult to manage the demands of their roles alongside their personal lives, which can potentially negatively impact on the quality of patient care they provide (Blue 2013, Dawson 2014). At a time where the world is facing the unprecedented global challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, the issue of psychological distress among our medical staff is of great importance. Research surveying healthcare workers from areas most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as China, show results suggesting that around 50% report some symptoms of poor mental health, including depression and anxiety (Lai, Ma et al. 2020). Doctors play a leadership role in system responses, supporting teams, and adapting ways of providing care for patients. A recent review in JAMA highlighted the importance of supporting medical staff with 5 simple requests: “hear me, protect me, prepare me, support me, and care for me” (Shanafelt, Ripp et al. 2020). A critical part of this support is to provide a safe space for staff to reflect, learn, and find solutions to their issues. This can be achieved using the positive psychology approach of professional coaching. One study has evaluated an individualised coaching program in a sample of physicians, demonstrating significant improvements in emotional exhaustion, burnout, quality of life, and resilience (Dyrbye, Shanafelt et al. 2019). The aim of this study is to reduce psychological distress and improve positive psychological outcomes in Senior Doctors at Liverpool Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Interventions
Coaching will be undertaken via the Zoom video platform and will be scheduled to suit participants’ commitments and workloads. Zoom coaching sessions will be conducted using a password protected online connection. Participants will book their appointments through Capstan Partner’s online booking system. Coaching will be available from 0730 to 1900 Monday to Thursday and 0730 to 1700 on Fridays. Weekend sessions will be available on request. Allocation of participants to coaches will be based on
Coaching will be undertaken via the Zoom video platform and will be scheduled to suit participants’ commitments and workloads. Zoom coaching sessions will be conducted using a password protected online connection. Participants will book their appointments through Capstan Partner’s online booking system. Coaching will be available from 0730 to 1900 Monday to Thursday and 0730 to 1700 on Fridays. Weekend sessions will be available on request. Allocation of participants to coaches will be based on participant and coach availability. In most circumstances it is expected that the schedules of multiple coaches will match with participants, and coaches will be randomly allocated. Within ten days of participants and coaches being assigned, coaches will contact participants to conduct a half-hour introductory meeting to focus on creating the relationship, building rapport, and responding to any questions from participants. The professional coaches administering the program are screened and selected against stringent criteria for appropriate accredited coach-specific training, have many years of coaching experience, knowledge of professional services and/or experience coaching in the healthcare industry, and agree to adhere to the coaching community’s International Coach Federation Code of Ethics.The International Coaching Federation is the leading global organisation dedicated to advancing the coaching profession by setting high standards, providing independent certification and building a worldwide network of trained coaching professionals. The first coaching session will be a 1-hour session to begin the process of reflection, goal setting, and solution-focussed thinking. Participants will then have five 30-minute sessions at three-week intervals with their coach. Participants will be given the option of completing non-mandatory guided reflections between coaching sessions that will be sent via email. These reflections will ask participants to reflect on their previous coaching session and any insights they gained, and ask them to think about what they would like to explore in their next session. The reflections may be used to guide the coaching sessions and will not be collected for analysis. Coaching sessions will be unscripted, and participants will self-direct the coaching session themes. Coaches will be required to record the themes participants explore in a predetermined rubric, including COVID-19 related issues. It is likely the coaching session will generally be structured as follows: a. Debrief, actions the participants have taken, supporting progress and accountability b. Planning and goal setting c. Designing sustainable actions d. Optimising accountability to next steps e. Conclusion and wrap-up Coaches will demonstrate active listening, powerful questioning, direct communication skills, and develop the participants self-awareness to facilitate learning, behaviour change, and meaningful outcomes. Coaches and participants will receive each other’s name, work contact email and mobile phone number. Regular audits to ensure coaching programs are being conducted to meet project timelines and outcomes, are to be documented, communicated, tracked and followed-up in real time by the project team. Coaches are required to attend two group coaching supervision meetings at one-third and two-thirds of the way through the program.
Sponsors
South Western Sydney Local Health District
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Intervention model
Single group
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
To be eligible for inclusion: - Doctors must be Staff Specialists or Visiting Medical Officers employed at a minimum of 0.4 FTE, and/or a Head of Department at participating hospitals
Exclusion criteria
Staff ineligible for inclusion: - Junior Medical Officers and other health employees - General practitioners - Doctors not employed by the participating hospital - Doctors employed less than 0.4 FTE at the participating hospital
Outcome results
None listed