What medical students think about measurement of their well-being: cross-sectional survey and qualitative interviews

Abstract

Objectives To find out how medical students think well-being should be measured.Design A mixed-methods study comprising a cross-sectional online survey (November 2020–March 2021) and semi-structured online interviews. Views on the frequency of availability for measurement, the format, type and purpose of measurement, and with whom well-being should be discussed were measured. When an outcome was scored 7–9 on a 9-point Likert scale of agreement by ≥75% of participants it was considered critical. Inductive thematic analysis was undertaken on the interview transcripts.Setting All medicine programmes at University of Southampton.Participants Medical students from all years took part in the survey (n=118) and interviews (n=16).Results Most participants (94%) felt able to give 5 min to measure their well-being at least once per month. Research, governance and individual feedback were all considered critically important. Only subjective assessments undertaken by the individual in real-time were rated critically important (78.1%) measurement tools. Students selected that they would discuss their well-being with other medical students (n=87) nearly as often as they selected a member of the faculty (n=104). Five interview themes further explained these findings: (1) well-being is mental well-being; (2) exercise and support from friends and family are most important; (3) isolation and the design of the medicine programme are detrimental to well-being; (4) there are advantages to surveys, and conversations; (5) personal academic tutors and medical students in later years are the best to discuss well-being with.Conclusions Medical students thought that measurement of their well-being was critically important for governance showing their support for quality assurance of well-being and peer support. They wanted to be able to choose surveys, or conversations, to measure their well-being, as well as the person they discussed well-being with. Four recommendations are discussed in light of these findings.