An email survey of US ophthalmologists reported in the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery found a high degree of self-reported burnout.1 Sedhom and colleagues wrote that they found sex, employment autonomy, and practice type were major factors associated with burnout.
The survey was sent to members of several national ophthalmology societies; 592 responded. Physicians completed a modified Mini Z Burnout Survey that assesses stress, burnout, and work satisfaction; a 10-item questionnaire measured in 5-point Likert scales; and demographic questions.
A total of 37.8% self-reported symptoms of burnout, with vitreoretinal specialists at the low end (30.8%) to uveitis specialists at the high end (45.4%). Most reported that their burnout was mild 65.2%, followed by moderate 29.5%, and severe 5.4%. Women had almost twice the odds of reporting burnout (OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.3-2.7; P=.0005). Academic (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.2-3.2; P=.007) and hospital-based (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.3-4.6; P=.008) ophthalmologists reported higher rates of burnout vs those in large private groups.
“Burnout was associated with self-reported low work control, insufficient time for documentation, and misalignment with departmental leaders (P<.0001),” the investigators wrote.
Reference
- Sedhom JA, Patnaik JL, McCourt EA, et al. Physician burnout in ophthalmology: U.S. survey. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2022;48(6):723-729. doi:10.1097/j.jcrs.0000000000000837
