Caring for Physicians and other Healthcare Professionals: Needs Assessments for eCurricula on Physician and Workplace Health

The quality and sustainability of the healthcare system in Canada is dependent on the healthcare providers within it. If the system is to remain strong, it is critical that those who provide the services within it are strong and healthy. Unfortunately, downsizing in the Canadian healthcare system has led to extremely heavy workloads and high levels of burnout in healthcare providers, which not only affects their own health but also that of the patients they care for. In an attempt to provide support and resources for healthcare providers to improve their own health and well-being, the purpose of this project is to develop two online programs—one for physicians and medical students and one for other healthcare providers—that will (1) provide access to cutting-edge information related to health and wellness, (2) allow the users to evaluate their current fund of knowledge and health status and take action to improve it, and (3) direct the user to online and face-to-face resources and supports. The first step in the project involved identifying the needs of the target users for the two programs. This paper summarises the findings from these needs assessments and provides recommendations for program design and development. Keywords—physician health, workplace health, needs assessment, eLearning