Dr Elizabeth Thompson: Tackling physician burnout at the systemic level

Dr Elizabeth Thompson, a surgeon and member of the Specialist Services Committee (SSC) at Doctors of BC, knows firsthand the pressures of the medical profession. Long hours, demanding cases, and the emotional weight of patient care are all part of the job. But Dr Thompson believes that true physician well-being goes beyond individual coping mechanisms.

"We've been conditioned to think physician well-being means taking a yoga class or getting a massage," she explains. "While those things are important, they only address about 20 percent of the issue. The other 80 percent? That's rooted in the systems we work in every day."

This belief is the driving force behind SWELL, a pilot initiative spearheaded by Dr Thompson and her colleagues at Doctors of BC. SWELL, which stands for Specialists Wellbeing, provides funding and guidance to physicians looking to tackle systemic issues impacting their well-being.

One of the first projects funded by SWELL, led by a pediatrician, focused on improving communication between physicians and the school system for neurodiverse children. "The pediatrician saw firsthand how inadequate support within the school environment was leading to challenges for both the children and the physicians trying to help them," Dr Thompson explains.

The solution? Facilitating direct communication between pediatricians and the school district. "It was a simple intervention, but it had a profound impact," Dr Thompson says. "By connecting these two groups, we were able to streamline communication, ensure children were getting the support they needed, and ultimately, reduce physician moral distress."

"We want physicians to know that there are resources available to address the systemic issues impacting their well-being," Dr Thompson emphasizes. "SWELL is not just about funding projects; it's about connecting physicians with the resources and support they need to create meaningful change."

For Dr Thompson, SWELL signifies a new direction in how we support physicians. It goes beyond individual resilience, focusing on building a health care system that empowers and enables physicians to flourish.