Burnout is a psychological syndrome, characterized by high emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and low professional accomplishment (see Maslach's definition and MBI scale for measuring it), which is very common among medical residents. In literature, work factors that contribute to physician burnout include excessive workloads, long working hours, specialty choice, frequent call duties, high emotional demands, workplace violence, bullying, bad management and many others. Is burnout a serious concern and what are the main determinants or risk factors for healthcare worker's burnout syndrome in your country?
In our attached 2017 qualitative study in a rural South African context, experiences of care provider fatigue were characterized by stress, anxiety, hopelessness, depression, burnout, frustration, and anger. Clearly, this experiential context has been amplified during the COVID pandemic
Yes, burnout among physicians is very common. The main determinants in my setting are inadequate numbers of doctors, excessive work loads, poor remuneration in the main stream workplace forcing healthcare workers to add on locums in order to bridge the salary gap. This ultimately ends up with excessive fatigue and some psychosomatic symptoms.
Burnout among physicians is a widespread phenomenon and has been found to have a crucial impact on both physicians and their patients. In US alone, recent data suggest that 44% of US physicians experience symptoms of burnout, characterized by emotional exhaustion and/or depersonalization, at least weekly.
Based on my work experience in Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Egypt I have observed that burnout syndrome among physicians is mainly among the junior physicians where the Head/Chairpersons of the Clinical Departments, Consultants and Senior Specialists transfer the load of their work to their junior colleagues as their seniors did with them. Such approach to work results in poor patient outcomes. Clinical Leaders need to focus on changing such practices in order to save lives and develop humane working hours and conditions for junior physicians.
Burnout is also experienced among nurses and other healthcare professionals, working 12 hours or 16 hours shifts results again in poor patient outcomes.
Due to low salaries and wages in Lebanon and in Egypt, I have witnessed that nurses for example work in 2-3 hospitals (12 or even 16 hours shift) to cover their living expenses. Such practices burn them out and more importantly resulted in poor performance that caused serious clinical errors.
Burnout is a common & widespread among physicians especially during outbreak of COVID-19 where physicians inforced to hard work with continuous heavy shift duty.
The main steps for resolving this problem is by enrollment of more doctors in isolation hospital for COVID-19 with division of shift hours.
Sometime burnout seen more in rular area where the number of physicians less.
Burnout has bad effect on physcian's performance and quality of work.
Most important risk factor for burnout is long shift of duty with out enough rest between duties, in addition to other risk factor like low salary in comparison to work hour.
Burnout can have numerous detrimental
ramifications on organizations and individuals, such as increased staff turnover, absenteeism, sickness, injury and accidents, low productivity, and interpersonal and
organizational conflicts.
The three scales that can determine burnout syndrome among professionals that include: Depersonalization (DP), Emotional Exhaustion (EE) and a sense of low Personal Accomplishment (PA). The EE subscale assesses feelings of being emotionally overextended and exhausted by one’s work (e.g., intense emotional tiredness); the DP subscale measures a negative, cynical, and impersonal attitude towards recipients of one’s service, care, treatment or instruction and the PA subscale assesses feelings of competence and successful achievement in one’s work with low personal accomplishment corresponding to demotivation, loss of self-confidence, and self-depreciation in relation to work.
Burnout among HCP is one of the emerging challenges affecting health care systems, patient care, and patient safety around the world. Health care professionals may develop symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, mood swings, insomnia, depression, and a sense of failure as a consequence of burnout.
These symptoms may ultimately lead to decreased job performance and poor patient care.
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