Keywords: Loneliness, Social Isolation, Healthcare Workforce, Medical Education, Provider Wellbeing

Background:

Social isolation and loneliness (SIL) are increasingly recognized as significant health risks affecting patient outcomes. While primary care providers are uniquely positioned to address SIL in patients, little is known about providers' own experiences with loneliness and how these personal experiences influence their clinical practice and teaching behaviors.

Research questions:

How frequent is SIL among family medicine providers?
Do personal experiences with SIL influence providers' clinical engagement with loneliness as a health issue?
Are there demographic disparities in provider loneliness experiences?

Method:

A cross-sectional survey was conducted through the Council of Academic Family Medicine Educational Research Alliance (CERA) among members of four major U.S. academic family medicine organizations (October-November 2024). We used the validated UCLA-3 item loneliness scale and assessed clinical practices, teaching behaviors, and available resources. Statistical analyses included descriptive and bivariate statistics.

Results:

Among 1,004 respondents (response rate 20.7%), 27.8% scored ≥6 on the UCLA scale, indicating considerable loneliness. Loneliness prevalence was elevated among female providers (31.1%), providers being underrepresented in medicine (36.1%), and particularly Black/African American respondents (40.3%). Providers experiencing SIL reported less frequent patient discussions about loneliness (23.7% vs. 32.0%, p=0.023), fewer community partnerships, and less frequent teaching about SIL. Most respondents (71.0%) reported inadequate clinical resources to address patient loneliness.

Conclusions:

Family medicine educators experience substantial loneliness rates, particularly among minority groups — significantly higher than general population estimates (<20%). Personal SIL experiences appear to inhibit rather than enhance clinical engagement with loneliness. Before implementing widespread patient screening initiatives, the profession must address providers' own social connectedness needs and develop practical clinical resources.

Points for discussion:

How do these U.S. findings compare to European healthcare provider experiences?

What are current and future strategies that medical institutions can implement to simultaneously support provider wellbeing and develop effective patient loneliness screening and intervention programs?

Is SIL in family medicine providers a risk factor for provider burnout?