CIPC Blog

Clinician burnout has become an alarming epidemic in healthcare, affecting up to 60% of clinicians (Shanafelt et al., 2015). This phenomenon is linked to increased rates of depression, anxiety, and substance use, as well as elevated errors and diminished quality of care. Various factors contribute to burnout, including systemic issues like escalating quality metrics, administrative burdens, and shorter patient visits.

This blog post is authored by a graduate of our 2014 “Primary Care Behavioral Health” course.  Many of our former students go on to do significant work in the healthcare field.  Dr. Cherepanov’s experience includes global mental health work in Chernobyl, Chechnya, Kosovo, and Liberia.  She now works as lead clinician for refugee services at Lynn Community Health Center—one of CIPC’s long-term partners in integration training.

During public health complex emergencies (CE), healthcare workers play a crucial role. This work can be rewarding as it reminds health professionals about their mission and purpose. But just like “a perfect storm,” CE disrupts the fabric of community life, and the responders are subjected to the same ailments as their patients (Cherepanov, 2019). When responding to international CEs, humanitarians accumulated a great deal of experience dealing with extreme work stresses. This experience offers a valuable insight into the psychological challenges the frontline healthcare workers face during the pandemic and the best practices for managing them. 

This post first appeared in January 2021 in the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

Current research suggests that Medical Group Visits (MGVs) address the well-known triple aim: improving the experience of care, improving the health of populations, and reducing per capita costs.  But what about the quadruple aim, which adds improved clinician experience?

Clinician burnout, especially during the pandemic, is a serious concern for US healthcare delivery.  Talented and dedicated clinicians are leaving the profession and there is mounting proof that when clinicians are over-stressed there are negative consequences for patient care. 

Read the post by clicking on the title

Is practicing the spirit of Motivational Interviewing enough?  Implications for MI teachers and students

Read more about what actually produces skilled MI practitioners in this post by CIPC Director, Dr. Daniel Mullin.  Dan has been teaching and practicing Motivational Interviewing for more than 20 years and he discusses data about MI training and his observations about how MI is used in real clinical situations.  Click on the title to read the post.

The pandemic takes a toll on providers, caregivers, and clinicians who care for those afflicted.  CICP faculty member Dr. Paula Gardiner shares a ten-minute meditation practice that anyone can do to provide some self-compassion. More>

Two more patients of mine died this past weekend. Two more on top of two more on top of two more. I have lost more patients in the last three years from opioid deaths than I have lost patients from all causes during my entire career. 

Tina Runyan often posts on this blog about wellness and clinician burnout.  This post was prompted by the shootings in the Pittsburgh synagogue.  Read her comments about the concept and reality of sanctuary by clicking on the post title.