Let’s help the people who help people. This simple inspiration to help is at the heart of Mindful Medicine. We are a group of mindfulness teachers and physicians dedicated to physician wellness and resiliency. Our doctors are suffering, and they need help.
According to a study published in JAMA in 2012 nearly half of all physicians surveyed had symptoms of burnout.
“Burnout can have serious personal repercussions for physicians, including problematic alcohol use, broken relationships, and suicidal ideation. When considered with the mounting evidence that physician burnout adversely affects quality of care, these findings suggest a highly prevalent and systemic problem threatening the foundation of the US medical care system. The fact that almost 1 in 2 US physicians has symptoms of burnout implies that the origins of this problem are rooted in the environment and care delivery system rather than in the personal characteristics of a few susceptible individuals. Policy makers and health care organizations must address the problem of physician burnout for the sake of physicians and their patients.”
Our doctors are burning out at alarming rates, and the impact of burnout on their capacity to care for themselves and their patients is a problem that affects us all. Mindful Medicine is dedicated to being part of the solution. We believe that physicians and the health care systems in which they work need to address the causes of burnout, how to prevent or reduce it, and most importantly, how to create a healthcare culture that actively fosters wellness and resiliency in its providers as well as consumers, a system of healthcare truly characterized by health and care. Our doctors deserve better care. The systems they work in deserve better health. We think we can help.
We are dedicated to teaching physicians evidence-based, secular mindfulness skills to improve self-care as well as patient care, including skills to reduce stress, increase compassion for self and others, and improve cooperative problem solving with patients and coworkers. We want to help doctors rediscover the joys of practicing medicine and create a positive community of doctors based on peer support, mutual respect, and wellbeing. Our goal is mindful doctors participating in and being supported by mindful community. We hope this will help the people who help people. Stay tuned!
