Keck Medicine of USC and its Care for the Caregiver program have partnered with USC Dornsife Public Exchange and the Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research to address physician burnout, a widespread problem currently impacting thousands of clinical care providers and their patients.

The project, known as The Thrive Study, aims to improve the well-being and job satisfaction of clinicians, increase rates of provider retention and ensure continuing patient access to timely, high-quality care.

“This is one of the most meaningful programs to date for building a sustainable workforce at Keck Medicine of USC,” said Steven Siegel, MD, PhD, chief wellness officer for Keck Medicine and one of the project’s lead investigators.

Medicine can be an exceptionally demanding field — physically, mentally and emotionally. The pandemic put additional pressure on many physicians, registered nurses, physician assistants and therapists of all kinds.

The ongoing additional demands often result in high rates of caregiver illness, exhaustion and a level of burnout that has driven a significant percentage of them from the field.

Caregivers and patients alike felt the impact of this widespread burnout, which has yet to fully abate.

To help counter this ongoing issue, the Thrive Study — funded by the Unihealth Foundation —will rely on Keck Medicine physicians, registered nurses, physician assistants and therapists to apply as participants. Those selected will test the newly developed support systems in 18 sessions over a period of 12 weeks.

Trial participants will be compensated up to $145 and entered into a raffle for a chance to win $1,500 for professional development expenses.

Caregivers who wish to see if they qualify can click here. Additional clinical details can be found on ClinicalTrials.gov. Questions may be directed to clinicianwellbeingstudy@usc.edu.

— Kate Faye