P2B341: Efficacy of a Mindfulness Curriculum with EEG Corroboration for Preventing Burnout in Pediatric Healthcare Providers

Background: This study aimed to determine if non-denominational mindfulness training decreases physician burnout when incorporated into the teaching curriculum.
We also sought to explore the correlation between meditation practice and EEG waveforms through the use of portable EEG technology.
Physician burnout remains a significant problem at both the resident and attending level.
A 3-year study performed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (2016-2018) showed that >50% of the pediatric residents surveyed met burnout criteria across all years of training, with similar numbers among attendings according to Medscape’s 2021 National Physician Burnout Report, with women reporting higher rates than men.
One proposed intervention is to incorporate mindfulness-based meditation training within the residency educational curriculum.
However, few studies have correlated the efficacy of mindfulness with pre- and post-meditation EEG waveforms.

Methods: Participants were recruited at two NYC hospitals in 2022 & 2023 via voluntary opt-in.
Study protocol, explained in Figure 1 to the right, involved standardized surveys over a 12 week period with primary oversight from trained meditation ambassadors.
Our current phase also involved 3 minute Muse™ EEG sessions for pre and post-meditation.
Standardized surveys were administered in two forms: at initial and final sessions for a thorough overview of the study, and an abbreviated form used after each weekly meditation session.
The Initial and Final values of each score and subscore were computed.
An F-test was run between the levels of each categorical variable and p-values calculated with a test level of 0.05. All calculations were done in R version 4.1.2.

Results: The cohort consisted of healthcare providers in the Pediatric department (N=42), with a subset participating in the EEG component (n=7).
Mindfulness was assessed in nonreactivity to internal emotions and thoughts, and in acting with present awareness.
Females were 77% of the cohort, a consistent gender split noted in other studies.
Burnout exhaustion was more pronounced in females compared to males (p = 0.0254),
A positive correlation was found between increased meditation and states of Calm and Stillness in the EEG analysis (shown in Graph to the left).
A corresponding downtrend was also noted in heart rate (p = 0.0507, shown in Graph to the right).

Conclusion: Employing interventions that successfully mitigate burnout may foster a nurturing training environment.
Preliminary correlation was found between weekly meditation and a calm post-meditation mental and physiological state.
Pre- and post-meditation EEG readings provide objective brainwave and physiologic data, supporting the efficacy of mindfulness training.
This curriculum is a sustainable technique to mitigate burnout. Such interventions may help healthcare providers build resilience through mindfulness.