Job satisfaction and burnout level analysis among ophthalmologists

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Purpose To assess job satisfaction and burnout levels among Egyptian ophthalmologists in order to better understand their mental and physical well-being. Patients and methods This is a cross-sectional observational analytic study among ophthalmologists. An online survey was sent out to ophthalmologists. All the participants answered a modified professional quality of life scale including 30 statements related to its three subscales: compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress. The responses were anonymized and analyzed. Results A total of 264 ophthalmologists responded to the survey. The age and duration of work showed a significant positive correlation with compassion satisfaction level (r=0.268, P=0.007, r=0.277, P=<0.001), respectively, and a significant negative correlation with both secondary traumatic stress level and burnout level (r=−0.196 and −0.287, P=0.001 and P<0.001, respectively). Average working hours per day showed a significant positive correlation with compassion satisfaction (r=0.157, P=0.012) and a nonsignificant correlation with other scores (P=0.5, 0.221). There was no significant difference in compassion satisfaction between subspecialties (P=0.512). Both burnout rates and secondary traumatic stress were negatively correlated with age and duration of employment (P=0.001, P<0.001). Burnout rates were low for investigative specialists and high for oculoplasty and surgeons (P=0.428). Seventy two percent of participants reported average secondary traumatic stress level, which was highest among cornea and uveitis specialists and lowest among glaucoma specialists (P=0.027). Conclusion A significant proportion of ophthalmologists exhibit average levels of burnout and secondary traumatic stress, while their compassion satisfaction tends to improve with accumulating years of practice. The findings highlight a critical need for proactive measures from policymakers, regulatory bodies, and healthcare administrators to identify and address specific risk factors contributing to occupational burnout among ophthalmologists.