Professional quality of life among physicians of tertiary care hospitals: An Egyptian cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Background: Professional quality of life greatly impacts wellbeing and performance of professionals working in the field of caring. The study aims at assessing the components of professional quality of life and their predictors.Design and methods: The cross-sectional study was performed on 167 physicians enrolled by using stratified random sampling from tertiary care hospitals, Ismailia, Egypt. It was conducted by a structured interview questionnaire which included Maslach Burnout Inventory to assess burnout syndrome, and Professional Quality of Life version 5 (Pro QOL- 5) subscale to assess compassion fatigue and satisfaction.Results: Among participants, 78.9% had high burnout, 76% had moderate potential compassion satisfaction and 82% had moderate potential compassion fatigue. The correlation between scales of professional quality of life scores showed significant results (p<0.05). The multiple linear regression analysis showed that marital status, frequency of dealing with critical patients, and compassion fatigue score (B= -6.959, B= 3.573, B= 1.115) were significant predictors of burnout score (p<0.05). Marital status (B= 2.280, p=0.024), and burnout score (B = 0.179, p=0.000) were significant positive predictors of compassion fatigue. While compassion satisfaction score was negative predictor (B= -2.804, p=0.006). The predictors of compassion satisfaction were the marital status (B = 5.039, p=0.000), and compassion fatigue score (B = -0.254, p=0.006).Conclusions: High prevalence rates of burnout, compassion fatigue and satisfaction indicating poor professional quality of life were detected among physicians in tertiary care hospitals. Significance for public health Professional quality of life has an impact on performance of caregiver workers. Physicians in tertiary care hospitals are predisposed to different occupational stressors which affects their wellbeing and their work performance which has adverse effect on patient care and health care system. Up to date, no studies were conducted in Egypt to assess the three components of professional quality of life; burnout, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction. Our study shows that most of the participants had high burnout, moderate potential compassion fatigue, and moderate potential compassion satisfaction reflecting poor professional quality of life. So, it highlights the need for urgent implementation of interventional program to increase health-care professionals' understanding and prevention of the risk of burnout and compassion fatigue. This accompanied by conducting screening measures on a regular basis for assessing physician wellbeing, and satisfaction to improve the professional quality of life of the physicians and their job performance.