The Silent Killer: Resident Burnout at an Inner-City Hospital in New York [25G

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Burnout defined by Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) is emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and feelings of decreased personal accomplishment. Medical residents endure higher levels of burnout compared to general population. The purpose of this study is to evaluate resident’s personality traits, stress level and alleviating techniques to promote resident wellness at a single community hospital. METHODS: In 2017, an anonymous survey was administered to all 143 residents at the Brooklyn Hospital. It assessed personality traits, stress level and stress alleviating techniques. It contained questions from the Rosenbach Self-Esteem scale, the Perceived Stress Scale and the MBI scale, along with demographics. Participation was voluntary and 100 residents completed the survey. Statistical analysis used Chi-square test and Students t-test linear regression. P-value<0.05 was statistically significant. RESULTS: OBGYN residents were more likely to report higher scores in the emotional exhaustion component of the MBI vs. residents of other specialties. There were no statistically significant differences in Personal Accomplishment and Depersonalization scores across all specialties. Burnout was significantly higher in OBGYN residents compared to surgery and pediatrics residents, as well as in family medicine vs. surgery residents. Post graduate year (PGY)-4s had significantly higher self-esteem scores (SES) than other PGY residents. Surgery residents had the highest self-esteem score. CONCLUSION: Burnout can have unintended consequences including psychological distress, altered personal relationships and decreased quality of patient care. Interventions to improve resident well-being should promote a sustainable environment for residents to thrive in by aggressively addressing excessive workload and incorporating individualized tactics such as routine counseling and therapy sessions.