565 - Development and validation of a novel instrument to measure the community well-being of residency programs

Poster Number: 565
Publication Number: 565.116

David Vermette, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Juliann Reardon, Tufts Childrens Hospital, Boston, MA, United States; Hayley P. Israel, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Shirley Zhen, Yale School of Public Health, Quincy, MA, United States; Donna Windish, Yale School of Medicine, Cheshire, CT, United States; Marney White, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States

Background: Residents have higher rates of burnout than the general population, and they report worsening burnout as they progress through residency. Understanding what influences a residency program’s community well-being may help identify areas for intervention, as community well-being impacts individuals’ ability to “flourish and fulfill their potential.” A community well-being measure has yet to be adapted to the residency program experience.

Objective: To develop and validate a questionnaire to measure a residency program’s community well-being (RCWB).

Design/Methods: An initial questionnaire to measure RCWB was developed from literature review. Items were pilot tested and reviewed by experts in the fields of residency education, survey design, and sociology. US residents in 18 specialties were recruited March to July of 2021 through convenience and snowball sampling using social media, email listservs, and emails to residency program directors. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, and exploratory factor analysis was performed with principal component analysis to reduce items and define subscales. Criterion validity was assessed with three previously validated scales (the Professional Fulfillment Index, Brief Inventory of Thriving, and a single-item measure of burnout).

Results: Two hundred nineteen residents completed the survey (completion rate 60%). Most respondents were female (61%), 26-30 years of age (60%), and identified as white (68%). Five subscales emerged with 24 total items: Program Leadership, Structures, and Practices; Resident Interpersonal Relationships; Fairness of Assignments; Workload; Resident Mistreatment. Cronbach’s alpha for each subscale were 0.95, 0.92, 0.71, 0.62, and 0.82 respectively. The Cronbach's alpha for the complete RCWB was 0.83. The RCWB score positively correlated with professional fulfillment (r =.57, pConclusion(s): The RCWB measure demonstrates high internal consistency, as well as content and criterion validity. These analyses suggest that the RCWB could be a valuable tool for measuring the subjective community well-being of residency programs. Further research is needed to establish normative values, determine what factors influence scores, and understand how organizational interventions can improve residency program community well-being.
CV_VermetteCV_yale_vermette_2021-11-16.pdf