Doctors Are Burning Out. Researchers Propose ‘Sacred Moment Rounds’ To Help

Is the Cure for Burnout a Few Seconds of Real Connection?

More than half of physicians report feeling burned out. Meanwhile, patients’ distrust of the healthcare system is a priority concern. A new paper argues that a single, overlooked factor might ease both: brief flashes of genuine connection between doctors and patients that researchers are calling “sacred moments.”

A conceptual model published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine proposes that brief moments of genuine connection between clinicians and patients may help protect doctors from burnout, are associated with greater purpose for patients, and may strengthen the bond between a person and their care team. Researchers from Western University, St. Joseph’s Health Care London, the University of Michigan, and Bowling Green State University argue that healthcare systems would benefit from creating conditions that let these moments happen more often.

“Sacred moments” are defined as brief periods in which people experience transcendence, boundlessness, ultimacy, deep interconnectedness, and spiritual emotions, no religious belief required. In plain terms, it’s a moment that feels bigger than the routine of the day. Psychologist Kenneth Pargament coined the term while observing hospital chaplains. These moments appear more common than expected: one study estimated roughly 68% of internal medicine physicians had experienced one with a patient.

Five Qualities Define a ‘Sacred Moment’ Between Doctors and Patients

Two decades of psychological research inform what gives these moments their power: five qualities, including something extraordinary breaking through ordinary life, a shift in how time or space feels, arrival at some deep truth, a profound connection with another person, and emotions like awe or being lifted up.

“Sacred” has religious roots, but the paper notes it triggered fewer religious associations than words like “holy” or “blessed” in one study of American English-speaking adults. Patients, physicians, and nurses have all readily connected with the term. The authors suggest these moments may speak to a deeper wish, perhaps shared by clinicians and patients alike, for care that treats a person as more than a diagnosis.

For clinicians, sacred moments appear to guard against burnout, add meaning to work, and build a heightened capacity for empathy. One study measured this partly by whether physicians volunteered or attended four or more social events monthly, suggesting sacred moments at work may carry into clinicians’ lives outside it.

For patients, sacred moments appear to serve as a buffer against stress and have been linked, both immediately and over time, to fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety, a stronger sense of purpose, greater satisfaction with care, and a better relationship with doctors.

Heavy Caseloads and Rushed Visits Crowd These Moments Out

Plenty of forces in modern healthcare work against these moments: a culture focused on rapidly treating isolated problems rather than seeing patients as whole people, heavy patient loads, staff shortages, short hospital stays, and a lack of training in meaningful conversations about patients’ emotional lives. Clinicians also sometimes build their own emotional walls. Certain situations tend to spark these moments instead: end-of-life circumstances, a patient in crisis, or a clinician who is simply, fully present with another person.

One finding stood out: a national survey found that even when doctors have these moments, they tend not to share them with colleagues, perhaps for lack of a safe outlet. The paper suggests that when shared and received with openness, their impact may grow.

Researchers Propose ‘Sacred Moment Rounds’ to Help With Burnout

Researchers don’t stop at identifying the problem; they offer recommendations. Their central suggestion is an initiative called Sacred Moment Rounds, bringing clinicians together in a safe, moderated space, guided by clinical staff and spiritual care practitioners, to share meaningful patient experiences. The goal isn’t to manufacture sacred moments but to help clinicians recognize and carry forward ones already happening.

At the system level, the paper calls for reasonable caseloads, adequate staffing, and leadership that rewards genuine time with patients, plus spaces designed with natural light, music, and art.

At the individual level, clinicians are encouraged to practice “compassionate witnessing”: being present with a patient’s emotions without trying to fix them. Practicing mindfulness during hand hygiene before seeing a hospitalized patient is also cited as a way clinicians may become more available for a sacred moment.

Research Is Still Concentrated in a Handful of Settings

This model synthesizes existing research rather than presenting new findings, and authors acknowledge major gaps remain. Research has concentrated mostly in therapy settings and a handful of healthcare environments, and some findings on race and ethnicity are preliminary and unreplicated. Future studies are needed across diverse cultures, and researchers are curious whether brain imaging or virtual reality could help study these moments.

Trauma is another frontier the team points to. People who experience psychological injury during medical procedures may avoid future care. Sacred moments, the paper theorizes, may work in the opposite direction, building a person’s sense of connection and meaning in ways that could counter those effects. That hypothesis has not yet been tested.

Anatole Broyard, a writer and cancer patient, put words to that wish in a 1992 essay: “I’d like my doctor to scan me, to grope for my spirit as well as my prostate. Without some such recognition, I am nothing but my illness.” Sacred Moment Rounds won’t rewrite hospital budgets or staffing ratios, but the researchers behind this model are betting that giving clinicians a place to talk about the moments already happening in their day could be a start.

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Disclaimer: This article is based on a peer-reviewed conceptual model and is intended for general informational purposes. It does not constitute medical advice, and it should not be used as a substitute for professional medical guidance, diagnosis, or treatment.

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