Abstract
BackgroundAlthough burnout is viewed as a syndrome rooted in the working environment and organizational culture, the role of the learning environment in the development of resident burnout remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the association between burnout and the learning environment in a cohort of Belgian residents.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional online survey among residents in a large university hospital in Belgium. We used the Dutch version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (UBOS-C) to assess burnout and the Dutch Residency Educational Climate Test (D-RECT) to assess the learning environment.ResultsA total of 236 residents (29 specialties) completed the survey (response rate 34.6%), of which 98 (41.5%) met standard criteria for burnout. After multivariate regression analysis adjusting for hours worked per week, quality of life and satisfaction with work-life balance, we found an inverse association between D-RECT scores and the risk of burnout (adjusted odds ratio; 0.47 for each point increase in D-RECT score; 95% CI, 0.23 – 0.95; p = 0.01).ConclusionsResident burnout is highly prevalent in our cohort of Belgian residents. Our results suggest that the learning environment plays an important role in reducing the risk of burnout among residents.
Highlights
Burnout is viewed as a syndrome rooted in the working environment and organizational culture, the role of the learning environment in the development of resident burnout remains unclear
We found no association between burnout and the total number of hours per week spent on clinical activities (p = 0.60), training activities (p = 0. 08) or non-training activities (p = 0.25)
Subscales of the Dutch Residency Educational Climate Test (D-RECT) Regarding the subscales of the D-RECT, we found that the scores on the subscales ‘role of the specialty tutor’ and ‘coaching and assessment’ were significantly higher in residents without burnout compared to those who suffer from burnout (Table 3)
Summary
Burnout is viewed as a syndrome rooted in the working environment and organizational culture, the role of the learning environment in the development of resident burnout remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the association between burnout and the learning environment in a cohort of Belgian residents. Individual traits might play a role in the development of physician burnout, a recent meta-analysis indicates that organization-directed approaches are more effective in reducing burnout compared to individual interventions [3]. This finding supports the hypothesis that burnout is rooted in issues related to working environment and organizational culture, instead of being an individual problem. Long working hours, lack of autonomy, a high level of work-home
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