Oncology Residency Program Directors Rate Protected Time as Essential to Address Burnout

A study presented at the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association Annual Conference 2024 reported results from a survey about the effects of burnout on oncology residency program directors (ORPDs). The survey showed that burnout is a continued challenge for program directors and aimed to highlight potential ways to mitigate the effects on oncology pharmacy education.

The survey was sent to ORPDs listed in the ASHP Residency Directory in March 2023. Twenty-two questions covered aspects of the residency program, resources and time allocated to ORPDs, and scores on the Stanford Professional Fulfillment Index (PFI). Burnout was defined as PFI scores ≥1.33.

Sixty-one percent (n=35) of respondents had three years or fewer of ORPD experience. Regarding program characteristics, 70% had two or fewer residency slots, and 80% had at least one residency program coordinator. Fifty-six percent of programs had more than 10 preceptors, and 42% had a dedicated pharmacy education executive.

ASHP Residency Standards require at least four hours per week of protected administration time for ORPDs to support residency training. According to the results of the survey, 50.8% of OPRDs felt that the ASHP standard did not provide them with sufficient time for administrative time and that more than four hours is consistently required (P=.013). In fact, only 17.5% reported receiving budgeted protected time as an incentive in their role, and 10% of respondents said they have more than four hours of budgeted protected time. Among patients who met the PFI burnout threshold, protected time or more protected time was the most important change to improve their well-being in more than 50% of respondents.

“Despite ASHP requirements, small numbers of ORPDs had budgeted protected time,” the authors wrote. They added that respondents reported facing challenges with maintaining adequate clinical coverage.

Regarding other ORPD position incentives, 15.7% of respondents reported receiving financial incentives, and 5.2% reported a combination of budgeted protected time and financial incentives. However, 61.5% of respondents did not report any incentives provided for the ORPD position. “No specific demographic or incentive was significantly linked with likelihood of well-being, PFI, burnout, or considering stepping down,” the authors wrote. Seventy percent of respondents reported thinking of stepping down from their roles in the previous 12 months, with greater rates among ORPDs with fewer years of experience.

“ORPDs consistently rank protected time as being impactful” on addressing burnout and improving fulfilment, the authors wrote. They also noted that other resources, such as residency program coordinators and financial incentives, were valued by respondents. “Providing appropriate resources to ORPDs is essential.”

Reference

Przespolewski ER, Abdel-Razzaq A, Falls SM, Riebandt G. Survey of PGY-2 oncology residency program directors to assess resources and effects on burnout. Poster. Presented at the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association Annual Conference 2024; April 3-6, 2024; Tampa, Florida.