Perceptions of burnout in medical dosimetry within a postpandemic work environment.

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization, burnout is described as having a negative attitude regarding one's work and being exhausted. Previous studies have shown that occupational burnout exists amongst medical dosimetrists, however, the incidence of medical dosimetrist burnout before and after a pandemic warrant continued research. Medical dosimetrists could be experiencing increased burnout in the workplace postpandemic due to staffing shortages and increased remote planning, which may reduce work performance. The researchers utilized a survey to answer research questions regarding whether staffing shortages or remote planning influenced perceived occupational burnout among medical dosimetrists in a post COVID-19 pandemic environment. The survey was intended to assess levels of emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP) and personal accomplishment (PA). It was distributed electronically to 2591 certified medical dosimetrists in the United States through the American Association of Medical Dosimetrists (AAMD) membership database. A total of 160 responses were recorded, resulting in a response rate of 6% (160/2591). The results of this study indicated that increased staffing shortages have a direct relationship with increased burnout incidence. Increased remote work appears to be inversely related to the incidence of burnout among medical dosimetrists.