Physician Burnout during Covid-19 Pandemic in Pediatric Emergency Rooms of Low-Middle Income Country, Pakistan

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Burnout can adversely affect the mental health, quality of life and quality of work of healthcare workers. Objective: We aimed to assess the burnout rate among physicians working in pediatric emergency rooms during COVID-19 pandemic, in public sector hospitals of Pakistan. Materials and Methods: It is a descriptive study performed in March 2021. We included all physicians working in the pediatric emergency departments of 9 public sector hospitals of Sindh, Pakistan, excluding those who didn’t give consent. The participants were sent an online questionnaire based survey, comprising of Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) tool along with three added COVID-19 specific questions. It was disseminated electronically. Data was analyzed using SPSS ver22. Result: A total of n=249 physicians filled the forms out of 320, giving a response rate of 77.8%. Majority 187 (75.1%) were females. Most of the physicians were females n=187 (75.1%) and worked primarily in emergency department n=186 (74.7%). The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) score revealed that 88 (35.3%) of the physicians had burnout (Score > 50). The most common component was Personal burnout in 122 (48.9%). Physicians working in emergency department, full time shifts and at junior designations had higher rates of burnout (P value <0.05). Conclusion: Burnout is a significant problem in pediatric emergency departments, specifically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Timely training and provision of supplies along with safety, security and alleviation of fear are important strategies to overcome burnout. Keywords: Burnout, Emergency departments, COVID-19, Pediatric emergency, Mental health, Health care professionals, Pandemic, Healthcare Quality indicators.