Does a Phone-based Meditation Application Improve Mental Wellness in Emergency Medicine Personnel?

Does a Phone-based Meditation Application Improve Mental Wellness in Emergency Medicine Personnel?

Emergency medicine is notorious for its high rate of burnout and mental health issues. The emergency department (ED) is a high paced work environment dealing with life and death issues. Employees in the ED work shift times that are not conducive to a natural circadian rhythm. All of these factors lead to high rates of burnout and overall dissatisfaction with their career choice. These are known downsides of a career in emergency medicine, but little effort is put into addressing this issue in everyday EDs.

Cell phones offer an easy and convenient means to participate in meditation. There are multiple evidence-based meditation apps available to cell phone users free of charge. Meditation has been shown to decrease burnout, rates of depression, and rates of anxiety. We hypothesize that weekly use of a meditation-based cell phone application will improve the mental health of emergency department employees as measured on various wellness inventories.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Employment in the Emergency Department (with at least 8 shifts a month at Dell Seton Medical Center or Seton Medical Center) as either an attending physician, resident physician, or nurse
• Age greater than/equal to 18 years old and younger than 75 years old
• Must own a mobile phone operating on the iOS system

Exclusion Criteria:

• Already use a phone-based meditation app on a weekly basis
• Currently undergoing psychological treatment in the form of weekly therapy or psychotropic medications