By Elana Gotkine HealthDay ReporterTHURSDAY, June 5, 2025 (HealthDay News) — For internal medicine physicians, experiencing sacred moments (brief periods of meaningful connection between clinician and patient) is common, but discussing them with colleagues is rare, according to a study published online May 30 in JAMA Network Open.
Jessica Ameling, M.P.H., from the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, and colleagues examined the prevalence, associated factors, and potential benefits of sacred moments among physicians in a cross-sectional national survey of randomly selected U.S. internal medicine physicians. Physician characteristics, burnout, and factors hypothesized to be protective against burnout were examined.
A total of 629 physicians completed a survey; the physicians spent a median of 23 years practicing. The researchers found that 424 of 626 respondents (67.7 percent) reported experiencing a sacred moment with a patient; 4.5 percent often or always discussed these experiences with colleagues. Considering oneself a very spiritual person and having a strong sense of purpose in life and work were factors associated with the greatest increased odds of experiencing a sacred moment (odds ratios, 2.23, 1.94, and 1.94, respectively). Respondents experiencing sacred moments a few times a year or more frequently had lower odds of extreme burnout compared with those experiencing sacred moments less often (odds ratio, 0.29). Lower odds of burnout were seen in association with discussing sacred moments with colleagues (odds ratio, 0.62).
“Understanding sacred moment experiences and encouraging discussion with professional colleagues should be encouraged,” the authors write.
