Indian Orthopaedic surgeons are less burned out than their Western colleagues

Abstract

BackgroundBurnout is a tridimensional psychological syndrome, the consequences of which in surgeons can be devastating. A preliminary review of the literature has demonstrated a paucity of validated studies measuring the levels of surgeon burnout throughout Asia. The purpose of this paper was to assess the prevalence and factors associated with burn out in Indian orthopedic surgeons and compare them to their western colleagues. Materials & methodsThis nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted at the Indian Orthopaedic Association Annual Meeting, via a validated burnout assessment instrument. Variables were compared using the chi-square, Mantel-Haenszel and Mann-Whitney-U tests. Variables associated with burnout subscales and overall burnout were explored using multiple linear and logistic regression. ResultsThere were 299 responses to the survey, 23.1% of the surgeons were allocated burnout status. There was a significant (p<0.001) association between burnout, all measures of satisfaction and health. This association also existed for half-days in public practice (p=0.03) and marital status (p<0.001). ConclusionThis is the first study to assess burnout among orthopedic surgeons in Asia. The use of a validated instrument facilitates future cross study comparisons. There were low levels of burnout in the Indian orthopedic profession, when compared to western countries, albeit a variety of sociocultural factors may play a role. There was evidence to suggest that the number of half-day sessions per week in public practice was associated with burnout, possibly attributed to longer hours and less flexibility. Satisfaction with training pathway was consistently significantly associated with all burnout subscales, a focus for future interventions. A strongly significant association persisted with our previous Australian study between burnout and marital status, emotional support and family stability critical for burnout minimization.