“The PSI grant enabled my team and I to accomplish a research study on an expert-led, group intervention to aid with physician burnout. Without this grant, we would have been unable to provide this intervention on physician wellness and study its effectiveness.” -Dr. Christopher Martin
About Dr. Christopher Martin
Dr. Christopher Martin is an emergency and intensive care physician at Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) in Barrie, Ontario, where he serves as Chief and Medical Director of Critical Care. With over 13 years of experience, he provides care for the region’s most critically ill patients while leading efforts to strengthen critical care delivery across Simcoe-Muskoka. He completed his residency and fellowship in Emergency Medicine and Critical Care at the University of Western Ontario and has practiced at RVH since 2011. In addition to his hospital roles, he is a transport medicine physician with Ornge Air Ambulance and previously a Trauma Team Leader at St. Michael’s Hospital, and he serves as Co-Medical Director of Trauma at RVH.
Dr. Martin founded RVH’s simulation program and was the hospital’s first Director of Medical Education, helping position the organization as a leader in virtual reality and immersive learning. His research interests include critical care quality improvement, medical education and simulation, virtual and regional models of care, health system leadership, and the use of big data and artificial intelligence (AI) to improve patient outcomes. He is also a strong advocate for patient-centred, values-based care and supports initiatives that promote meaningful goals-of-care conversations.
About the Funded Study
Led by Dr. Martin, the two-year PSI funded study “Teaching Practical Skills for Building Resilience in Healthcare Professionals: A Randomized Trial” set out to address a significant and well-documented problem: physician burnout. It is estimated that up to 30% of Canadian physicians experience burnout, often compounded by a lack of formal training in skills to manage stress and emotional fatigue.
Through the PSI Healthcare by Community Physicians grant, the study focused on the Self-Compassion Training for Healthcare Communities (SCHC) course, an evidence-based intervention designed to help health-care professionals build practical skills to manage stress, enhance well-being, and reduce burnout. An accredited SCHC trainer delivered the program through a combination of in-person and virtual sessions for hospital staff. The participants learned skills intended for everyday use in challenging clinical and personal situations.
Dr. Martin aimed to evaluate whether the use of these taught skills mediated changes in self-compassion and compassion satisfaction. This study directly addressed a critical gap in health care: limited access to evidence-based and locally delivered interventions that support physician wellness. By offering the SCHC course free of charge, the funding removed financial and logistical barriers that would otherwise have prevented many physicians from participating.
A total of 59 physicians enrolled in the six-week course, with small class sizes designed to encourage openness and meaningful discussion. While diary completion rates were low–limiting the ability to assess how skill use mediated outcomes–the repeated questionnaire measures demonstrated an overall positive impact on participants’ well-being. Physicians reported meaningful benefits from the skills taught, reinforcing the value of structured, evidence-based wellness training within hospital settings.
Impact of the Funded Study
Beyond Dr. Martin’s research findings, the funding created immediate and tangible benefits: nearly 60 physicians gained access to a high-quality intervention that supported resilience, self-compassion, and professional sustainability. As one participant noted: “I was skeptical that the skills taught in the course would be useful, but I have found myself employing them in many situations since and am grateful that our staff had funded access to this course.” -Dr. Adarsh Tailor
The PSI-funded study also generated important lessons about research design in busy clinical environments, highlighting the challenges of real-time self-reporting among physicians and informing future evaluation approaches.
“The PSI grant enabled my team and I to accomplish a research study on an expert-led, group intervention to aid with physician burnout,” says Dr. Martin. “Without this grant, we would have been unable to provide this intervention on physician wellness and study its effectiveness.”
Based on the positive outcomes, Dr. Martin plans to continue offering the SCHC course with the hospital supporting future physician participation. The study’s results reinforce the importance of investing in physician wellness, not only as a research priority, but as a practical strategy to support a healthier, more resilient health-care system.
