Effect of Implementation of a Moral Case Delibration Meetings on the Prevalence of Burn-out Syndrome in the ICU

Burnout syndrome (BOS) has a high prevalence in critical care nurses and physicians. Both personal characteristics and work-related factors have been associated with BOS. Despite this high prevalence of burnout and its potential for serious consequences, few studies have tested interventions to address the problem. Whereas person-directed interventions may be effective for periods less than 6 months, changes in the organization tend to have a longer lasting effect. Lack of participation in morally complex decision-making is assumed to be an important risk factor for the development of burnout symptoms. Implementation of structured, multi-professional medical ethical decision-making - so called moral case deliberation (MCD) - is proven feasible in an ICU setting. Health care workers involved in patient care perceived that active participation in ethical decision making resulted in better awareness of the background of the individual decisions and improved understanding of the ethical dilemma. The effects of this intervention on health-care workers well-being was not investigated.