A pilot study of the hopetimize program for pediatric oncology healthcare professionals

Background Research suggests that burnout and work-related quality of life are concerns for pediatric oncology professionals, with limited supportive resources. This study aimed to address this resource gap through an intervention promoting hope and targeting burnout and quality of life in this group. Methods A single-arm pilot study of the intervention was conducted at Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego. The intervention was delivered as a single session workshop, followed by reinforcement through a mobile application. Feasibility was assessed through recruitment and retention metrics, application usage data, and informal participant acceptability feedback. Exploratory efficacy analyses were conducted on measures of hope and perceived control (intervention mechanisms), occupational burnout and professional quality of life (primary outcomes), and empathy (secondary outcome) at baseline and 1-, 4- and 12-weeks post-intervention. Results Twenty participants were consented and 18 participated, with 13 (72%) completing 12-week surveys. A total of 15 participants (83%) opted to receive daily push notifications but only 3 (20%) engaged in daily booster questions. Positive feedback suggested acceptability. Exploratory findings suggested changes in emotional exhaustion (baseline to 1-week, p = .02; baseline to 4-weeks, p = .01), a sub-construct of burnout, and secondary traumatic stress (baseline to 4-weeks, p = .01; baseline to 12-week scores, p = .01), a sub-construct of professional quality of life. Conclusions The Hopetimize intervention was feasible for pediatric oncology healthcare professionals, although daily application usage was limited. Exploratory findings suggested that a randomized controlled trial would be beneficial to delineate intervention effects on the proposed mechanisms and outcomes.