Burnout of Physicians Working in Primary Health Care Centers under Ministry of Health Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

IntroductionThe levels of physicians' job satisfaction and burnout directly affect their professionalism, punctuality, absenteeism, and ultimately, patients' care. Despite its crucial importance, little is known about professional burnout of the physicians in Saudi Arabia. The objectives of this research are two-fold: (1) To assess the prevalence of burnout in physicians working in primary health care centers under Ministry of Health; and (2) to find the modifiable factors which can decrease the burnout ratio.MethodologyThrough a cross-sectional study design, a representative sample of the physicians working in primary health care centers (PHCCs) Jeddah (n=246) was randomly selected. The overall burnout level was assessed using the validated abbreviated Maslach burnout inventory (aMBI) questionnaire. It measures the overall burnout prevalence based on three main domains i.e., emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Independent sample T-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multivariate regression analysis were performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS Version 22, IBM, Armonk, NY).ResultsOverall, moderate to high burnout was prevalent in 25.2% of the physicians. Emotional exhaustion was noted in 69.5%. Multivariate regression analysis showed that patient pressure/violence (p <0.001), unorganized patients flow to clinics (p=0.021), more paperwork (p<0.001), and less co-operative colleague doctors (p=0.045) were the significant predictors for high emotional exhaustion. A positive correlation was noted between the number of patients per day and burnout. The patient’s pressure/violence was the only significant independent predictor of overall burnout.ConclusionEmotional exhaustion is the most prominent feature of overall burnout in the physicians of primary health care centers. The main reasons include patient’s pressure/violence, unorganized patient flow, less cooperative colleague doctors, fewer support services at the PHCCs, more paperwork, and less cooperative colleagues. Addressing these issues could lead to a decrease in physician’s burnout.

Patients’ Satisfaction after Primary Health Care Centers’ Integration with Ministry of Health Hospitals, Jeddah

“…Overcrowding is also a major contributor toward physicians' burnout [17]. Bawakid et al [17,29] showed a positive correlation between the number of patients per day and physicians' burnout. Similarly, general cleanliness of the hospital or a health care center is also recognized as a positive predictor not only for the patients' satisfaction, but also as it affects the staff working in it [17].…”

Professional satisfaction of family physicians working in primary healthcare centers: A comparison of two Saudi regions

“…This extra administrative workload leads to physician's burnout. [ 16 ] However, teaching/training postgraduate trainees was one area where around 60% of FPs showed interest. Similar findings were reported in the studies conducted in Canada[ 26 ] and Japan.…”

“…[ 15 ] However, recent studies have highlighted high level of job dissatisfaction and stress among doctors affecting quality of care. [ 16 17 ] Around 38% Canadian doctors described “medical practice” itself as extremely stressful, as one has to deal with difficult cases, aggressive patients, and their attendants. [ 18 ] Modern changes in the healthcare system, increase in the workload, reduced physician's autonomy, and respect are some of the main reasons for dissatisfaction.…”

A cross-sectional audit of the risk of burnout among senior medical staff in a UK district general hospital

“…The aMBI is a reliable and highly validated tool that has been used to measure burnout in doctors and other healthcare professionals. [15][16][17][18][19][20][21] To assess burnout, there were nine questions from the aMBI, and three additional questions concerning satisfaction with medicine. 19 Questions were scored on a seven-point scale, ranging from never (0) to every day (6).…”