Burnout Assessment Among Surgeons and Surgical Trainees During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

Identifying Novel Inhibitors of Workplace Support and the Importance of Value Congruence and Feeling Valued in General Surgery Residency Training

OBJECTIVE

To explore residents' perceptions of workplace support inhibitors and their relationship to resident wellbeing. We aim to provide evidence-based targets to inform future work operationalizing support in surgical training.

DESIGN

This is a 2-part mixed-methods cross-sectional study. Part 1 analyzed qualitative data from focus groups (April 2021-May 2022). Part 2 comprised an online survey (informed by findings in Part 1, May 2022) to assess the association between perceived workplace support (e.g. feeling valued and value congruence) and poor individual global wellbeing (e.g. languishing).

SETTING

National multi-center study including 16 ACGME-accredited academic programs.

PARTICIPANTS

General surgery residents at all training levels, both clinical and research years.

RESULTS

28 residents participated in the focus groups which revealed three major themes around perceived inhibitors of workplace support: lack of trust in residency program (e.g. ulterior motives), poor communication from leadership (e.g. lack of transparency, ineffective dialogue), and unfair systems in residency training (e.g. exploitation of residents, paternal leave policies). These themes emphasized the importance of feeling valued and value congruence, with the latter reflected in the form of trust and communication with leadership, a key element of worker-workplace alignment. 251 residents responded to the survey (response rate 31%, 50.6% women) which revealed that a lower sense of feeling valued and lower perceived value congruence were significantly associated with languishing.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest feeling valued and value congruence (specifically, having trust and communication with leadership) are important targets for increasing workplace support in surgical training, offering evidence-based targets for future work to operationalize support in surgical training.

Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Canadian Surgical Residents: A Province-Wide Study

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to evaluate the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on surgical residents.

DESIGN

An online survey was distributed evaluating multiple domains: demographics, health and socioeconomic factors, clinical experience, educational experience, and psychological outcomes. The Mayo Clinic Resident Well-Being Index (RWBI) was used as a validated measure of resident mental health.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Surgical residents from University of British Columbia's surgical residency programs.

RESULTS

A total of 31/86 surgical residents responded to the survey. Of which, 57% and 46% reported feeling burned out or depressed, respectively. Residents who were concerned about personal protective equipment supply and who lived with family members with comorbidities had a higher risk of depression (p = 0.03, p = 0.04). The median Mayo Clinic Resident Well-Being Index was 2.5, higher than the median of 2 observed in the United States national survey of residents.

CONCLUSIONS

The pandemic had a considerable negative impact on the psychological well-being of surgical residents.

Disparate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on delays in colorectal cancer treatment: A National Cancer Database study

BACKGROUND

Timely treatment for patients with colorectal cancer may have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We evaluated the impact of the pandemic on delays to treatment with surgery or systemic therapy for patients with colorectal cancer and delineated factors predictive of delayed treatment.

METHODS

Using the National Cancer Database, patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer were categorized by year of diagnosis as COVID-19 era (2020) versus pre-COVID-19 (2018-2019). Categorical variables were compared by χ2 analysis. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess odds ratios for delayed time to surgery or chemoimmunotherapy, defined as >60 days.

RESULTS

In total, 50,689 patients colorectal cancer were diagnosed patients who were pre-COVID-19 vs 21,331 within the COVID-19-era. Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 had a higher stage at diagnosis. There were no differences in the proportion of delayed time to surgery for patients diagnosed in 2020, but patients who were tested for COVID-19 had increased proportions of delayed time to surgery (P < .0001). In multivariate analysis, Black race (P = .0026) and uninsured/underinsured status (P = .0017) were associated with delayed time to surgery. Diagnosis during COVID-19 did not increase delayed time to chemoimmunotherapy, regardless of COVID-19 testing or positivity; however, delays were seen for Black (P < .0001), Hispanic (P < .0001), and uninsured/underinsured patients (P < .0001).

CONCLUSION

Although the pandemic did not delay treatment for colorectal cancer overall, vulnerable and underserved populations were disproportionately affected by delays to all forms of therapy. The difference in colorectal cancer outcomes in the coming years as a result of delays in treatment may be significant for these patients.

Investigating Workplace Support and the Importance of Psychological Safety in General Surgery Residency Training

OBJECTIVE

Workplace interventions that increase support can mitigate burnout, improve workplace satisfaction, and increase well-being. Our aim is to provide evidence-based targets to inform future work for operationalizing support in general surgery residency.

DESIGN

This is a 2-part mixed-methods cross-sectional study. Part 1 analyzed qualitative data from focus groups (April 2021-May 2022). Part 2 comprised an online survey (informed by findings in Part 1) in May 2022 to assess the association between perceived psychological safety (PS) and flourishing, as well as PS and languishing.

SETTING

National multi-center study including 16 ACGME-accredited academic programs.

PARTICIPANTS

General surgery residents at various training levels, in both clinical and research.

RESULTS

A total of 28 residents participated in the focus groups which revealed both enhancers and inhibitors of support pertaining to PS in the workplace. Enhancers of support included those currently implemented (i.e., allyship of mentors) and those proposed by residents (i.e., nonpunitive analysis of mistakes). Inhibitors of support included both systems (i.e., wellness initiatives as a 'band-aid' for systems issues) and culture (i.e., indefatigability, stoicism). About 251 residents (31%) responded to the survey which revealed higher perception of PS was significantly associated with flourishing at the level of residency program and departmental leadership. Lower perception of PS was significantly associated with languishing at the level of residency program leadership only.

CONCLUSION

Our findings highlight the promotion of PS, such as expansion of mentorship to include advocacy (advocating on a resident's behalf, recognition when mistreated) and affirmation (i.e., soliciting opinions on controversial social matters/events, recognizing different life experiences), cultural acceptance of asking for help (without being perceived as weak), formal help navigating interpersonal dynamics (i.e., guidance from senior residents), and leadership presentations and modeling to destigmatize asking for help, as a means of operationalizing workplace support to increase flourishing and decrease languishing.

[Against the mental stress-Resilient work in surgery]

BACKGROUND

Surgery represents a challenging medical discipline.

AIM

This article focuses on psychological stress in surgery and explains resilience as a protective factor against the consequences of psychological stress, based on selected literature references and own relevant clinical experiences. In this context, the sense of coherence, social support and self-efficacy expectation are discussed in more detail as resilience factors.

METHOD

Narrative review.

RESULTS (CORNER POINTS)

Surgery is classified as a challenging medical subspecialty with a high reputation but associated with diverse and varied physical and psychological stress factors. Stress factors differ individually in terms of requirements (can be overdemanding or underdemanding but also stimulating, relevant to learning and meaningful, thus positively or negatively stressful) and resources (potentially beneficial working conditions, experience, or behavior, e.g., social support, scope for action). Fluctuations within surgical specialties and a high dropout rate during residency training are well known and the causes include high psychological stress. In the case of persistent and at the same time insufficient compensation of work stress caused by a lack of or insufficient resources, these can be associated with mental illnesses. Nonetheless, many physicians spend their entire lives working in hospital or private surgical settings and remain healthy, a strong sense of resilience to mental illness may be fundamental to this. Resilience can be present as a personal characteristic or it can be learnt through a process or adapted through positive or negative influences, thus strengthening the personal characteristics. Overall, data on surgeon resilience or interventional studies in resilience research in the surgical setting are limited and provide another research gap. Resilience training (directed at a sense of coherence, social support, strengthening knowledge of coping skills, positive emotions, optimism, hope, self-efficacy expectations, control beliefs or robustness), also clearly indicated in the "robust" medical specialty of surgery, is always individual and should not be generalized. If the surgeon cannot retrieve sufficient resources due to the stressful situation, stress management with its methods is helpful to reduce the psychological stress and to be able to maintain the performance and health of this person.

CONCLUSION

The consolidation of resilience as a notable aspect of employee management. In collegial interactions, resilience must be based on workplace-based approaches to strengthen coping mechanisms in the face of work stress. Workplace-related stress should also be perceived, addressed and counteracted within the organization, certainly also as an elementary management task.

Evaluation of the reboot coaching workshops among urology trainees: A mixed method approach

Background

Urology trainees experience high burnout, and there is an urgent need for acceptable and effective interventions. The current study evaluated Reboot coaching workshops (Reboot-C), a tailored intervention based on cognitive-behavioural principles, with urology trainees.

Objective

Our primary objective was to evaluate the acceptability of Reboot-C among urology trainees. In addition, this study aimed to investigate whether there were changes in confidence, resilience, depression and burnout levels.

Materials and method

A single-arm design was used, including pre- and post-online questionnaires and semi-structured interviews.

Result

Twenty-one urology trainees replied to the survey, attended both Reboot-C workshops and responded to the post-intervention questionnaire. Thirteen of 21 (61%) urology trainees participated in the interview. Participating in Reboot-C was associated with significant improvements in resilience and confidence and a significant reduction in burnout. However, there was no significant reduction in depression. Qualitative data indicated that Reboot was acceptable and helped participants develop useful skills.

Conclusion

These findings pave the way for more conclusive studies on the efficacy of Reboot-C for surgeons.

Telemedicine in Care of Sarcoma Patients beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges and Opportunities

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a challenging environment for sarcoma patients. Most oncology societies published guidelines or recommendations prioritizing sarcoma patients and established telehealth as an efficient method of approaching them. The aim of this review is the assessment of current evidence regarding the utilization of telemedicine in diagnosis, treatment modalities, telerehabilitation and satisfaction among sarcoma patients and healthcare providers (HP).

METHODS

This systematic review was carried out using the databases PubMed and Ovid MEDLINE according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA).

RESULTS

The application of telemedicine to the management of sarcoma has yielded improved clinical and psychological outcomes. Specifically, significant progress has been demonstrated in the areas of tele-oncology and telerehabilitation during the last decade, and the COVID-19 outbreak has accelerated this transition toward them. Telehealth has been proven efficient in a wide spectrum of applications from consultations on physical therapy and psychological support to virtual care symptom management. Both HP and patients reported satisfaction with telehealth services at levels comparable to in-person visits.

CONCLUSIONS

Telehealth has already unveiled many opportunities in tailoring individualized care, and its role in the management of sarcoma patients has been established in the post-COVID-19 era, as well.

Assessing the Prevalence of Burnout Among Female Microvascular Head and Neck Surgeons

Background: Research has not explicitly explored differences between male and female microvascular head and neck (MHN) surgeon burnout, which should be identified and addressed to ensure career satisfaction and longevity. Objective: To measure and compare the prevalence of burnout among male versus female MHN surgeons. Methods: A prospective questionnaire based on the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was distributed through a web-based survey to the American Association of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons and American Head and Neck Society in 2021 and 2022. Additional variables collected included demographics, relationship and parental status, academic rank, annual salary, and COVID-19-related questions. Results: One hundred thirteen surveys were collected. Twenty-nine (25.7%) were women and all completed MHN surgery fellowships. Women trended toward more emotional exhaustion than men (2.8 mean MBI vs. 2.3 mean MBI) but reported similar personal achievement (4.8 mean MBI vs. 4.9 mean MBI). Men experienced less workplace sexual harassment (p < 0.001). Women experienced more burnout (69% vs. 39%, p = 0.006) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: Female MHN surgeons reported in this survey to experience more workplace sexual harassment and higher COVID-19-related burnout than their male counterparts.

Time Out: The Impact of Physician Burnout on Patient Care Quality and Safety in Perioperative Medicine

Perioperative care delivery is a patient-centered, multidisciplinary process. It relies heavily on synchronized teamwork from a well-coordinated team. Perioperative physicians-surgeons and anesthesiologists-face enormous challenges in surgical care delivery due to changing work environments, post-COVID consequences, shift work disorder, value conflict, escalating demands, regulatory complexity, and financial uncertainties. Physician burnout in this working environment has become increasingly prevalent. It is not only harmful to physicians' health and well-being, but it also affects the quality and safety of patient care. Additionally, the economic costs associated with physician burnout are untenable due to the high turnover rate, high recruitment expenses, and potential early permanent exit from medical practice. In this deteriorating environment of unbalanced physician supply/demand, recognizing, managing, and preventing physician burnout may help preserve the system's most valuable asset and contribute to higher quality and safety of patient care. Leaders in government agencies, health care systems, and organizations must work together to re-engineer the health care system for better physicians and patient care.

Alcohol misuse, health-related behaviors, and burnout among clinical therapists in China during the early Covid-19 pandemic: A Nationwide survey

Objectives

This study aimed to assess the extent of alcohol use and misuse among clinical therapists working in psychiatric hospitals in China during the early COVID-19 Pandemic, and to identify associated factors.

Methods

An anonymous nationwide survey was conducted in 41 tertiary psychiatric hospitals. We collected demographic data as well as alcohol use using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) and burnout using the Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey.

Results

In total, 396 clinical therapists completed the survey, representing 89.0% of all potential participants we targeted. The mean age of participants was 33.8 years old, and more than three-quarters (77.5%) were female. Nearly two-fifths (39.1%) self-reported as current alcohol users. The overall prevalence of alcohol misuse was 6.6%. Nearly one-fifth (19.9%) reported symptoms of burnout with high emotional exhaustion in 46 (11.6%), and high depersonalization in 61 (15.4%). Multiple logistic regression showed alcohol use was associated with male gender (OR = 4.392; 95% CI =2.443-7.894), single marital status (OR = 1.652; 95% CI =0.970-2.814), smoking habit (OR = 3.847; 95%CI =1.160-12.758) and regular exercise (OR = 2.719; 95%CI =1.490-4.963). Alcohol misuse was associated with male gender (OR = 3.367; 95% CI =1.174-9.655), a lower education level (OR = 3.788; 95%CI =1.009-14.224), smoking habit (OR = 4.626; 95%CI =1.277-16.754) and high burnout (depersonalization, OR = 4.848; 95%CI =1.433-16.406).

Conclusion

During the COVID-19 pandemic, clinical therapists' alcohol consumption did not increase significantly. Male gender, cigarette smoking, and burnout are associated with an increased risk of alcohol misuse among clinical therapists. Targeted intervention is needed when developing strategies to reduce alcohol misuse and improve clinical therapists' wellness and mental health.

Burnout and patient safety perceptions among surgeons in the United Kingdom during the early phases of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: A two-wave survey

BACKGROUND

Surgeons in the UK report high burnout levels. Burnout has been found to be associated with adverse patient outcomes but there are few studies that have examined this association in surgeons and even fewer which have examined this relationship over time.

PURPOSE

The main aim was to examine the relationships between surgeon burnout and surgeons' perceptions of patient safety cross-sectionally and longitudinally. The secondary aim was to test whether surgeons' burnout levels varied over the first six months of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

METHODS

This paper reports data from a two-wave survey (first wave from 5 May and 30 June 2020, the second wave 5 January to 30 February 2021). The dataset was divided into a longitudinal group (for surgeons who responded at both the time points) and two cross-sectional groups (for surgeons who responded at a one-time point, but not the other).

RESULTS

The first key finding was that burnout was associated with patient safety outcomes measured at the same time point (Group 1 = 108, r = 0.309, p < 0.05 and Group 2 = 84, r = 0.238, p < 0.05). Second, burnout predicted poor patients' safety perceptions over time, and poor patient safety predicted burnout over time (Group 3 = 39, p < 0.05). Third, burnout increased between the first and second surveys (t = -4.034, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Burnout in surgeons may have serious implications for patient safety. Interventions to support surgeons should be prioritised, and healthcare organisations, surgeons and psychological specialists should collaborate on their development.

Physician's Burnout during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The burnout rate among physicians is expected to be higher during COVID-19 period due to the additional sources of physical and emotional stressors. Throughout the current COVID-19 pandemic, numerous studies have evaluated the impacts of COVID-19 on physicians' burnout, but the reported results have been inconsistent. This current systematic review and meta-analysis aims to assess and estimate the epidemiology of burnout and the associated risk factors during the COVID-19 pandemic among physicians. A systematic search for studies targeting physicians' burnout was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, Cochrane COVID-19 registry, and pre-print services (PsyArXiv and medRχiv) for English language studies published within the time period of 1 January 2020 to 1 September 2021. Search strategies resulted in 446 possible eligible studies. The titles and abstracts of these studies were screened, which resulted in 34 probable studies for inclusion, while 412 studies were excluded based on the predetermined inclusion criteria. These 34 studies went through a full-text screening for eligibility, which resulted in 30 studies being included in the final reviews and subsequent analyses. Among them, the prevalence of physicians' burnout rate ranged from 6.0-99.8%. This wide variation could be due to the heterogeneity among burnout definitions, different applied assessment tools, and even cultural factors. Further studies may consider other factors when assessing burnout (e.g., the presence of a psychiatric disorders, other work-related and cultural factors). In conclusion, a consistent diagnostic indices for the assessment of burnout is required to enable consistent methods of scoring and interpretation.

Factors Associated with Burnout among Resident Physicians Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A 2-Month Longitudinal Observation Study

BACKGROUND

Burnout during residency may be a function of intense professional demands and poor work/life balance. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, NYC hospital systems were quickly overwhelmed, and trainees were required to perform beyond the usual clinical duties with less supervision and limited education.

OBJECTIVE

The present longitudinal study examined the effects of COVID-19 caseload over time on burnout experienced by resident physicians and explored the effects of demographic characteristics and organizational and personal factors as predictors of burnout severity.

METHODS

This study employed a prospective design with repeated measurements from April 2020 to June 2020. Participants were surveyed about their well-being every 5 days. Predictors included caseload, sociodemographic variables, self-efficacy, hospital support, perceived professional development, meaning in work, and postgraduate training level.

RESULTS

In total, 54 resident physicians were recruited, of whom 50% reported burnout on initial assessment. Periods of higher caseload were associated with higher burnout. PGY-3 residents reported more burnout initially but appeared to recover faster compared to PGY-1 residents. Examined individually, higher self-efficacy, professional development, meaningful work, and hospital support were associated with lower burnout. When all four predictors were entered simultaneously, only self-efficacy was associated with burnout. However, professional development, meaningful work, and hospital support were associated with self-efficacy.

CONCLUSION

Burnout among residency is prevalent and may have implications for burnout during later stages of a physician's career. Self-efficacy is associated with lower burnout and interventions to increase self-efficacy and the interpersonal factors that promote self-efficacy may improve physician physical and emotional well-being.