Burnout Among Physicians and Medical Interns: Comparing Time-periods of Coronavirus Disease Outbreak in Shiraz

Abstract

Background: Physician burnout is a serious issue associated with physician attrition, mental and physical problems, and medical errors. This study aimed to investigate prevalence of overall burnout among Interns-Residents and general physician (GPs)-Specialist during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 220 Interns-Residents and 212 GPs-Specialists in university affiliated hospitals and clinics in Shiraz, Iran. A random sampling method used to recruit the samples and the data gathered using a valid questionnaire. We used covariance analysis and multiple logistic regression to analyze the data.Results: Multiple logistic regression for GPs-Specialists showed that working in COVID-19 wards during June-July (OR = 13.93) was associated with increasing odds of overall burnout. However, older age was associated with decrease odds overall burnout (OR = 0.94). Multiple logistic regression for Interns-Residents revealed that age (OR = 1.24) and being single (OR = 1.66) were positively associated with overall burnout.Conclusions: The present finding could remind policy makers the importance of burnout issue among physicians during the pandemics and could persuade them for taking appropriate action in order to prevent this phenomenon. It is suggested that focusing on strategies such as improving organizational resilience, improvement of healthcare working environment, and development of coping skills among physicians could be helpful in this regard.