Prevalence and risk factors of Burnout syndrome in emergency physicians of public hospitals in the Principality of Asturias, Spain

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Burnout syndrome (BS) is a state of fatigue or frustration produced by dedication to a cause, lifestyle or relationship that does not produce the expected reinforcement. BS has three dimensions: Emotional Exhaustion (EE), Depersonalization (D) and Low Personal Achievement (PA) and can be measured with the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). The objective was to determine the prevalence of BS among hospital emergency physicians in the Principality of Asturias and its relationship with sociodemographic, occupational, health, and perceived stress variables, as well as knowing the risk of suffering BS. METHODS Multicenter observational cross-sectional study among general practitioners of the emergency services of reference hospitals in the eight health areas of the Principality of Asturias. A questionnaire with 48 questions in two sections was used: (1) Sociodemographic, labor, job satisfaction, perceived health, and stress data; and (2) MBI Questionnaire. RESULTS There were 137 valid questionnaires (response rate 70.26%). 18.2% of the physicians had BS. In the EE dimension, 47.45% had a low level of burnout, 26.28% a medium level and 26.28% a high level. In dimension D, 16.79% presented low levels of burnout, 30.6% medium level and 52.55% high level. In the PR dimension, 1.46% had high levels, that is, a low level of burnout, 21.9% had a medium level of burnout, and 76.64% had low levels of PA that is related to a high level of exhaustion In relation to the risk of suffering burnout, 70.1% had a high risk while 11.7% had no risk. CONCLUSIONS Physicians working in the emergency services of our public hospitals have a prevalence and a risk of suffering BS related to specific aspects of their practice that are identifiable (work hours, continuous training, leadership of the department heads, participation in decision making, etc.). Many of these risk factors are preventable through proper organizational strategies. For this reason, the health authorities should implement measures aimed at reducing BS among doctors in the emergency services who have a higher score on BS scales, in order to avoid the impact that this problem has on the safety and quality of healthcare in emergency services.