Association between Sick Leave Prescribing Practices and Physician Burnout and Empathy.

Oriol Yuguero Torres,Jorge Soler-González,Josep Ramon Marsal Mora,Montserrat Esquerda Aresté

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0133379

Oriol Yuguero Torres, Jorge Soler-González + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0133379

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Journal: PloS one	Publication Date: Jul 21, 2015
Citations: 79	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Hospital Arnau de Vilanova, University of Lleida

Abstract

ObjectivesTo investigate the association between sick leave prescription and physician burnout and empathy in a primary care health district in Lleida, Spain.MethodsThis descriptive study included 108 primary care doctors from 22 primary care centers in Lleida in 2014 (183,600 patients). Burnout was measured with the Maslach Burnout Inventory and empathy with the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy. The reliability of the instruments was measured by calculating Cronbach’s alpha and normal distribution was analyzed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov-Lilliefors and χ2 tests. Burnout and empathy scores were analyzed by age, sex, and place of work (urban vs rural). Sick leave data were obtained from the Catalan Health Institute.ResultsHigh empathy was significantly associated with low burnout. Neither empathy nor burnout were significantly associated with sick leave prescription.ConclusionSick leave prescription by physicians is not associated with physicians' empathy or burnout and may mostly depend on prescribing guidelines.

Highlights

Sick leave is a medical situation in which a patient is granted leave of absence due to a nonwork-related illness or injury [1]
Neither empathy nor burnout were significantly associated with sick leave prescription
Sick leave prescription by physicians is not associated with physicians' empathy or burnout and may mostly depend on prescribing guidelines

Summary

Introduction

Sick leave is a medical situation in which a patient is granted leave of absence due to a nonwork-related illness or injury [1]. In Spain, it is evaluated by primary care physicians and patients granted leave qualify for sick pay from the state. The physician-patient relationship is a fundamental element of clinical practice that has changed throughout the history of medicine [2],[3]. The roles of both physicians and patients have evolved hand in hand with scientific developments and social changes, in the twentieth century. A recent review reflecting on why some physicians become “unethical or even callous,” identified multiple causes, including difficulties related to emotional and relational aspects, such as emotional overload from contact with suffering, the limitations of medicine in terms of resolving certain patient problems, and the contradiction between the ideals of the profession and its day-to-day reality, characterized by high demands from patients and overburdened physicians [4]

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Conclusion