The factors associated with development of professional burning-out in physicians

Abstract

The professional burnout of physicians is a common world problem that has significant negative impact on quality of medical care and decreases effectiveness of human resources policy in health care. The first step in solving the burnout problem is to identify the most common provoking and protective factors (predictors) of this phenomenon. The study was targeted to determine and categorize the key factors associated with burnout of physicians and to provide prevention and treatment of the condition in the future. The participants of the study completed a questionnaire targeted to evaluating professional burnout levels and establishing key factors of its development and prevention. The sampling of 1668 physicians from the Tomsk Oblast participated in the study. The moderate or high levels of professional burnout were found in more than half of respondents and only 1% of them had no predictors of this syndrome. The correlation and multiple regression analysis were applied to classify various factors impacting on professional burnout as negative (resulting in professional burnout) or protective (preventing development of professional burnout). The results of the study demonstrated the importance of integrated approach in effective solving of the problem of professional burnout in Russia. The study will assist in finding practical applications of its results in preventing and reducing the risk of development of professional burnout.