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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT05251675

Effect of Physician Peer Coaching on Burnout in Hospital-Based Physicians: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial

The prevalence of burnout symptoms among physicians is high, especially for acute care physicians. Physician burn out is a long-term stress reaction marked by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a lack of sense of personal accomplishment. The healthcare environment, due to its demanding pace and emotional intensity, puts physicians at high risk for burnout.

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Key information

Conditions

Burn Out Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Burnout, Psychological Stress, Psychological

Age range

18 year–89 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Geisinger

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, 18711, United States

About this study

Physician-Led Professional Coaching is a one-on-one intervention between a physician coach and an individual physician that is systematic, collaborative, future-focused, goal-oriented and is meant to help coaches attain valued professional or personal development. The trial will be conducted with 25 participants in an intervention cohort and 25 participants in a control. The intervention cohort will receive 6 individual coaching sessions over 6 months. Coaching sessions will use the CHEER acronym for conducting the coaching sessions: Celebrate, Hear, Executive coaching, Engage, and Recharge. The control group will be eligible for coaching sessions after the completing of the interventional arm. Physicians randomized to the control arm will be offered the same individualized coaching sessions as those that were in the intervention group. Te Maslach Burnout Inventory survey will be used to measure burnout and will be collected at baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 9 months. The physician coach will be blinded to all survey data as it is being collected.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Geisinger Physician
  • Practicing medicine at least 6 months in the Geisinger system

Exclusion criteria

  • Currently seeking professional coaching sessions
  • Planning to leave the Geisinger system within 1 year

Treatment and study plan

Physician Led Professional Coaching

Behavioral

This is a one-on-one intervention between a physician coach and an individual physician. This is meant to help coaches attain valued professional or personal development.

Delayed Physician Led Professional Coaching

Behavioral

This intervention will include professional one-on-one professional coaching delayed from the active comparator group.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in burnout as measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory

    Time frame: 9 months

    Providers will be asked to complete Maslach Burnout Inventory surveys at specific times during the coaching intervention. The surveys are based on a score of 0 (never) to 6 (every day) and used to determine if there is a reduction in provider burnout.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in work environment factors contributing to burnout by Areas of Work life Survey

    Time frame: 9 months

    Providers will be asked to complete Areas of Work life surveys at specific times during the coaching intervention. The surveys are based on a score of 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree) and used to determine if there is a reduction in provider workload.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Geisinger Clinic

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2023
Study completion
2024
First posted
Feb 23, 2022
Registry last updated
May 28, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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