Developing an Intervention Package to Promote High Quality Connections Among Healthcare Providers

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Lauren E. Benishek, PhD, is an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and core faculty in the Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality. Dr. Benishek's long-term career goal is to improve outcomes meaningful to healthcare workers and their patients by facilitating growth of psychologically healthy workplaces that protect employees from harm while simultaneously bolstering their physical, mental, and social well-being. This goal includes becoming an independent investigator conducting rigorous, interdisciplinary research that advances the science and practice of occupational safety and health psychology. To this end, Dr. Benishek builds on and expands the skills and research experiences afforded from her doctoral and postdoctoral training. Specifically, she will pursue advanced training and mentoring in (1) positive organizational psychology, (2) employing qualitative methods and analysis, and (3) applying implementation science. The specific aims of the proposed research are: (1) Conduct a systematic review to refine an integrated, transdisciplinary conceptual model that describes core components of high- quality connections (HQCs) and identify a list of candidate HQC interventions; (2) Identify and select individual and system-level interventions for a multi-pronged intervention package to improve HQCs in healthcare; and (3) pilot test the HQC intervention package and evaluation tools within an anesthesiology department. As such, the proposed research aligns with NIOSH's Strategic plan to promote safe and healthy work design and well- being by addressing challenges pertaining to the Healthcare and Social Assistance sector and the Total Worker Health cross-sector. The proposed research also meets research-to-practice (r2p) objectives by describing a research program that identifies evidence-based best practices and applies them to a real-world healthcare work context. Importantly, the proposed work addresses the burden of an epidemic affecting more than 50% of physicians who experience burnout by addressing the need to create a more empathetic and supportive culture of belonging among this group of workers and promises to have impact by taking the first step towards developing the knowledge and tools needed to build social connections in healthcare. Anticipated outputs of the proposed research include an intervention package for improving providers' HQCs and publications and presentations describing findings. Intermediate outcomes include local policy changes that support HQCs and directions for improving and scaling interventions for greater success and broader adoption. Expected end outcomes include greater healthcare worker well-being and sense of community and belonging that translates to improved patient care quality and experience. Completing the proposed research stands to meaningfully advance both the science and practice of occupational well-being and improve the experience of healthcare workers and, ultimately, patients being cared for by flourishing providers.