Proactive Well-Being Check-Ins for Medical and Health Professions Education Students: A Year- Long Observational Cohort

Background: A growing body of evidence connects healthcare provider well-being to patient safety, along with barriers to effective help-seeking by clinicians who need it. Improving the culture of safety and well-being is a priority for many academic medical centers, and medical school accreditation standards include attention to learner well-being. Even with increased attention to well-being, barriers exist to help-seeking. Methods: To address existing barriers and gain information about ways to better support our students, we implemented and assessed the feasibility and acceptability of proactive (opt-out) well-being check-ins in a cohort of newly enrolled medical and health professions students. After meetings, students were provided with tailored resources to support their learning and well-being. Results: Overall, the program was acceptable and feasible as well as helpful in identifying strengths and areas for development in our provision of tailored student support. Conclusions: As concerns about burnout and mental health issues among medical students and other clinical learners grow, strategies to decrease barriers and improve effectiveness of interventions are needed. Proactive well-being check-ins are practical and feasible, help facilitate timely access to resources, normalize help-seeking behavior, and promote well-being among medical and health professions education students.