Shared meals help department boost radiologist well-being
Shared meals can help an organization boost radiologist well-being while reducing short-term burnout, according to new research published Monday.
Amid staffing shortages, isolation and ballooning work lists, imaging departments have grappled with concerns about physician fatigue including potential moral injury. Weill Cornell Medicine at New York-Presbyterian Hospital has recently explored the impact of meal-time outings in fostering radiologist job satisfaction, empathy and sense of connection.
The NYC institution anonymously surveyed rads about the initiative and found promising early results. Burnout scores decreased significantly following the intervention, with corresponding improvements in career satisfaction and empathy, according to research published in Academic Radiology.
“As departments seek low-cost, scalable strategies to strengthen professional culture, commensality [sharing meals]-based interventions represent a promising and practical approach that can meaningfully enhance relational well-being and community cohesion in radiology,” Melissa Reichman, MD, and Katerina Dodelzon, MD, wrote Dec. 15.
Weill Cornell sent an initial baseline survey to all 120 attending radiologists in the department in September 2024. The study took place at multiple intimate restaurants, each offering round tables to encourage connection and conversation. Restaurants were chosen both for their inviting ambiance and convenient proximity to the participants’ workplace, the authors noted. The three establishments included a Greek tavern, Japanese ramen bar and Italian trattoria, with each offering a warm atmosphere, “creating a welcoming setting or meaningful interaction.”
Three groups of seven faculty members participated in shared dinners three times over six months. Discussions centered around meaning, appreciation and interpersonal connection. A total of 59 rads responded to the initial baseline survey beforehand and 36 expressing interest in participating. Those reporting one or more symptom of burnout were more likely to be interested in the program than those who didn’t (83% vs. 65%).
Among the participants, burnout scores decreased significantly after the dinners, including measurable improvements in career satisfaction and sympathy. At the six-month mark, participants continued to endorse the program as valuable (100% vs. 76% of nonparticipants) and were more likely to express interest in future participation (100% vs. 57%).
“Future work should explore multidisciplinary expansions, longer-term follow-up, and the operational features that most effectively sustain community and well-being in clinical environments,” the authors reported.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.