Effectiveness of a group intervention to reduce the psychological distress of healthcare staff: a pre-post quasi-experimental evaluation
Abstract Background Work stress and compassion fatigue are prevalent among healthcare staff and their negative effects on staff well-being and patient care are well-known. This paper reports on the implementation and evaluation of Schwartz Rounds® (Rounds) in UK healthcare organizations, predominant...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2021-04-01
|
| Series: | BMC Health Services Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-06413-4 |
| _version_ | 1818865949512564736 |
|---|---|
| author | Jeremy Dawson Imelda McCarthy Cath Taylor Kristin Hildenbrand Mary Leamy Ellie Reynolds Jill Maben |
| author_facet | Jeremy Dawson Imelda McCarthy Cath Taylor Kristin Hildenbrand Mary Leamy Ellie Reynolds Jill Maben |
| author_sort | Jeremy Dawson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Work stress and compassion fatigue are prevalent among healthcare staff and their negative effects on staff well-being and patient care are well-known. This paper reports on the implementation and evaluation of Schwartz Rounds® (Rounds) in UK healthcare organizations, predominantly part of the National Health Service (NHS). Rounds are one-hour, typically monthly, multidisciplinary forums during which clinical and nonclinical healthcare staff discuss the emotional and social demands of delivering patient care. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of Rounds attendance on the psychological distress, work engagement, compassion and self-reflection of healthcare staff. Methods We used a pre-post control design to assess the effect of Rounds attendance across 10 UK healthcare organizations. This design was most appropriate given the voluntary nature of Rounds and ensured the study had ecological validity. Self-reported data were collected from attenders and non-attenders at baseline and at eight-months follow-up. The outcomes were psychological distress, work engagement, compassion and self-reflection. Results During the 8 months’ study duration, regular attenders (N = 51) attended Rounds on average 4 times (2–8). Attenders showed a significantly greater decrease in psychological distress (as measured with the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)) than non-attenders (N = 233; odds ratio of 0.197; 95% confidence interval (0.047–0.823)). However, Rounds attendance had no significant effect on work engagement, compassion and self-reflection. Conclusions Rounds attendance was linked to a 19% reduction in psychological distress adjusting for covariates. As an organization-wide intervention, Rounds thus constitute an effective, relatively low-cost intervention to assist staff in dealing with the demands of their work and to improve their well-being. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T10:55:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-aa2a1194e8974b75a4f1e95c97a91676 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6963 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T10:55:41Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Health Services Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-aa2a1194e8974b75a4f1e95c97a916762022-12-21T20:24:49ZengBMCBMC Health Services Research1472-69632021-04-012111910.1186/s12913-021-06413-4Effectiveness of a group intervention to reduce the psychological distress of healthcare staff: a pre-post quasi-experimental evaluationJeremy Dawson0Imelda McCarthy1Cath Taylor2Kristin Hildenbrand3Mary Leamy4Ellie Reynolds5Jill Maben6Sheffield University Management School, University of SheffieldAston UniversityUniversity of SurreySheffield University Management School, University of SheffieldKing’s CollegeKing’s CollegeUniversity of SurreyAbstract Background Work stress and compassion fatigue are prevalent among healthcare staff and their negative effects on staff well-being and patient care are well-known. This paper reports on the implementation and evaluation of Schwartz Rounds® (Rounds) in UK healthcare organizations, predominantly part of the National Health Service (NHS). Rounds are one-hour, typically monthly, multidisciplinary forums during which clinical and nonclinical healthcare staff discuss the emotional and social demands of delivering patient care. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of Rounds attendance on the psychological distress, work engagement, compassion and self-reflection of healthcare staff. Methods We used a pre-post control design to assess the effect of Rounds attendance across 10 UK healthcare organizations. This design was most appropriate given the voluntary nature of Rounds and ensured the study had ecological validity. Self-reported data were collected from attenders and non-attenders at baseline and at eight-months follow-up. The outcomes were psychological distress, work engagement, compassion and self-reflection. Results During the 8 months’ study duration, regular attenders (N = 51) attended Rounds on average 4 times (2–8). Attenders showed a significantly greater decrease in psychological distress (as measured with the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)) than non-attenders (N = 233; odds ratio of 0.197; 95% confidence interval (0.047–0.823)). However, Rounds attendance had no significant effect on work engagement, compassion and self-reflection. Conclusions Rounds attendance was linked to a 19% reduction in psychological distress adjusting for covariates. As an organization-wide intervention, Rounds thus constitute an effective, relatively low-cost intervention to assist staff in dealing with the demands of their work and to improve their well-being.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-06413-4Schwartz roundsIntervention studyPsychological distressEngagement |
| spellingShingle | Jeremy Dawson Imelda McCarthy Cath Taylor Kristin Hildenbrand Mary Leamy Ellie Reynolds Jill Maben Effectiveness of a group intervention to reduce the psychological distress of healthcare staff: a pre-post quasi-experimental evaluation BMC Health Services Research Schwartz rounds Intervention study Psychological distress Engagement |
| title | Effectiveness of a group intervention to reduce the psychological distress of healthcare staff: a pre-post quasi-experimental evaluation |
| title_full | Effectiveness of a group intervention to reduce the psychological distress of healthcare staff: a pre-post quasi-experimental evaluation |
| title_fullStr | Effectiveness of a group intervention to reduce the psychological distress of healthcare staff: a pre-post quasi-experimental evaluation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effectiveness of a group intervention to reduce the psychological distress of healthcare staff: a pre-post quasi-experimental evaluation |
| title_short | Effectiveness of a group intervention to reduce the psychological distress of healthcare staff: a pre-post quasi-experimental evaluation |
| title_sort | effectiveness of a group intervention to reduce the psychological distress of healthcare staff a pre post quasi experimental evaluation |
| topic | Schwartz rounds Intervention study Psychological distress Engagement |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-06413-4 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jeremydawson effectivenessofagroupinterventiontoreducethepsychologicaldistressofhealthcarestaffaprepostquasiexperimentalevaluation AT imeldamccarthy effectivenessofagroupinterventiontoreducethepsychologicaldistressofhealthcarestaffaprepostquasiexperimentalevaluation AT cathtaylor effectivenessofagroupinterventiontoreducethepsychologicaldistressofhealthcarestaffaprepostquasiexperimentalevaluation AT kristinhildenbrand effectivenessofagroupinterventiontoreducethepsychologicaldistressofhealthcarestaffaprepostquasiexperimentalevaluation AT maryleamy effectivenessofagroupinterventiontoreducethepsychologicaldistressofhealthcarestaffaprepostquasiexperimentalevaluation AT elliereynolds effectivenessofagroupinterventiontoreducethepsychologicaldistressofhealthcarestaffaprepostquasiexperimentalevaluation AT jillmaben effectivenessofagroupinterventiontoreducethepsychologicaldistressofhealthcarestaffaprepostquasiexperimentalevaluation |