Humanism Rounds: A Multifaceted “Back to Bedside” Initiative to Improve Meaning at Work for Internal Medicine Residents

Burnout is an increasingly prevalent problem among resident physicians. To address this problem, the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) created the Back to Bedside initiative, supporting resident-driven projects focused on increasing direct interactions with patients. In 2017, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) Internal Medicine Residency received a Back to Bedside grant to develop and implement “Humanism Rounds,” a multifaceted program which sought to promote personal connections between residents and patients and foster reflection about patients’ non-clinical stories, with the hopes of reducing burnout and increasing residents’ sense of meaning at work.

Between 2018 and 2020, internal medicine residents were instructed on and encouraged to participate in Humanism Rounds. The program included three components: taking a “human history,” bedside rounds focused on non-clinical concerns, and sharing patient stories with colleagues (“celebrations”). Residents were surveyed using institutional and ACGME surveys regarding burnout, meaning at work, and the clinical learning environment.

Three hundred eleven institutional (response rate, 74%) and 328 AGCME (response rate, 78%) surveys were completed and analyzed. Residents who actively engaged with Humanism Rounds reported more meaning and fulfillment at work (p < 0.001). During the period of this project, ratings of the learning environment and personal callousness improved among subgroups of residents.

Baylor College of Medicine Internal Medicine residents who engaged with Humanism Rounds reported more meaning and fulfillment in their work. This program describes a low-cost model for other specialties and institutions to strengthen human connections and improve residents’ experience during training.