Disclosures: Emily Ryan-Michailidis, DO: No financial relationships or conflicts of interest

Objective: Technology has revolutionized medicine but resulted in more time on computers and less with patients. In parallel, there is a rise in physician dissatisfaction, resentment, and burnout. Over 80% of our first year residents met burnout criteria. In our program, first year residents on inpatient rotations spent their lunch breaks eating while working in front of the computer. We proposed using this time creatively, as an opportunity for residents to develop a deeper connection with patients. Our greatest opportunity for improving professional satisfaction, and reducing resident burnout may lie in getting back to the bedside with patients.

Design: Senior residents coordinated weekly times where first year residents (n=11, March to June 2018) asked to join one of their patients for lunch at the bedside. We hypothesized that spending one-on-one time with patients in a social situation of sharing a meal may strengthen bonds between residents and their patients, help residents find increased meaning in daily work, promote well-being, and ultimately improve patient outcomes and satisfaction. Participants completed surveys three times yearly including the Work and Meaning Inventory (WAMI) and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Setting : Residency. Participants : PM&R residents.

Interventions: Protected time to share lunch with patients.

Main Outcome Measures: WAMI and MBI scores.

Results: WAMI scores for all participants did not improve. MBI for participants showed increased emotional exhaustion and depersonalization; unchanged personal accomplishment. MBI for participants with more lunches showed decreased sense of personal accomplishment and emotional exhaustion; increased depersonalization. Conclusions: We believe the worse MBI and WAMI scores are not attributed to the study itself since we do not feel the questions addressed in the WAMI and MBI accurately reflect the benefits of our intervention. For this reason we are adding the ” Personal Meaning in Patient Care” Survey which may be more applicable to the study. This project is ongoing currently with first year residents in 2019-2020.

Level of Evidence: Level III

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PM&R Meeting Abstracts - https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/doctors-lets-do-lunch/