Resident Feedback on Incorporating Reflection Rounds Into a Family Medicine Residency Wellness Curriculum: A Brief Report.

Abstract

Background: We sought to understand well-being from the perspectives of residents in a family medicine residency program and to assess the residents' opinions on implementing "Reflection Rounds" (RR) to promote wellness and combat burnout through self-reflection. These aims were achieved through descriptive qualitative analysis of a focus group of family medicine residents.

Methods: Participation was voluntary and open to all 45 residents in the program. The final participant sample consisted of 14 residents who shared similar characteristics, including level of training and being exposed to similar training stressors. Both a priori and open coding were used for this analysis.

Results: An iterative process identified themes based on focus group responses. The residents were in favor of initiating RR and recommended discussion topics unique to family medicine residency. They also identified logistical preferences for this intervention, such as conducting confidential and unrecorded groups, splitting rounds by training year, offering RRs led by a trained facilitator, providing snacks if feasible, and making the RRs available on a regular basis during protected didactic time.

Conclusion: This project elucidates how residents are identifying and managing wellness and burnout as well as informs effective ways that family medicine residency programs can incorporate RR into their wellness curriculum.