Burnout among Portuguese radiographers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has had a global impact, including in health services, placing health professionals under enormous tension, pressure, and stress. Professionals involved in the care, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19-infected patients have been subject to emotional and physical distress that can potentially enhance the development of occupational diseases. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence of burnout among Portuguese radiographers. Methods This was a cross-sectional, quantitative study. Burnout levels were estimated using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey, composed of 22 questions. Specific questions were developed to characterize the socio-demographic situation and the impact of the pandemic on the radiographers. Data were descriptively analyzed and Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for correlation analysis. Results The study sample comprised 386 radiographers, 68.7% of whom where female and 31.3% male. The mean sample age was 36.3(±9.1) years. A total of 43.5% and 45.5% of subjects had a high level of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, respectively, and 59.8% experienced low personal accomplishment. Altogether, 23.3% of study participants were at high risk of burnout in the three dimensions assessed and 77.2% in at least one. Conclusion Study results showed that radiographers were at high risk of developing burnout in the COVID-19 pandemic setting. Health institutions should actively monitor these professional’s mental health and develop restorative strategies that enable their emotional wellbeing, preventing absenteeism and increasing patients’ quality of care. Implications for practice Burnout of health professionals has a strong impact on health services organization, resulting in increased absenteeism and error probability, frequent work delays, low productivity and job satisfaction, inter- and intra-professional conflicts, high job turnover, high job quit, and decreased quality of care perceived by users.

Burnout in Hospital-Based Healthcare Workers during COVID-19

“…103,105,[113][114][115][116] Younger healthcare professionals and trainees have also been at elevated risk in all healthcare disciplines. 107,112,114,[117][118][119] Healthcare workers' ethnicity, culture, and race have not received wide study. One Canadian study of internal medicine specialists found that visible minority physicians were more likely to report lower personal accomplishment than others, but these groups did not differ in emotional exhaustion.…”

“…One Canadian study of internal medicine specialists found that visible minority physicians were more likely to report lower personal accomplishment than others, but these groups did not differ in emotional exhaustion. 104 Regarding sex differences, women healthcare personnel (including nurses, physicians, pharmacists, and other healthcare workers) have had higher emotional exhaustion, 104,112,114,117,[119][120][121] whereas males report higher depersonalization. 112,114,117,121,122 Regarding gender, a study of U.S. anesthetists in March 2020 found that those who identify as LGBTQ2S+ experienced greater burnout.…”

The global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical radiography practice: A systematic literature review and recommendations for future services planning

“…54e56 The healthcare workforce has to balance strict measures to protect both patients, colleagues, and the general public from contracting COVID-19, while not compromising on the access, availability and quality of healthcare service. 57,58,65,67 These demands have placed a toll on the healthcare workforce worldwide.…”

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy concerns: Findings from a Ghana clinical radiography workforce survey

“…17 The complexities for risk of infection among this workforce is further increased in situations where radiological examinations are to be conducted in places not originally designed for this purpose, e.g., in newly created isolation centres with limited PPEs. 18,19 For example, Foley and colleagues reported that a high proportion of Irish radiographers (45%) were inadvertently exposed to COVID-19-positive patients without adequate PPE. 17 A similar trend was reported during the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak in Saudi Arabia to indicate that radiographers had the highest infection rate of 29.4% relative to other healthcare workers.…”