The Effects of the Medical Pause on Physiological Stress Markers among Health Care Providers: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Contemplative practices promote well-being, work engagement and resilience among health care providers. We examined the impact of The Pause, a brief contemplative intervention, on health care providers’ physiological stress response. Participants were randomly assigned to either The Pause or the control group. They participated in a high-fidelity, stressful medical simulation. Following the simulation, intervention group practiced The Pause. Outcome measures were heart rate variability, heart rate, and blood pressure. We adjusted for baseline physiological variables, sociodemographic variables, self-care practices, and perceived stress. Participants in the intervention group had a standard deviation of the normal-to-normal RR intervals (heart rate variability indicator) that was 13.8 (95% CI 4.0, 23.5; p < .01) points higher than those in the control group. There were no significant effects of The Pause on heart rate or blood pressure. The Pause may reduce stress reactivity, increase heart rate variability, and enhance resilience in health care providers.