Cross-sectional survey on physician burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic in Vancouver, Canada: the role of gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation

Nadia Khan; Anita Palepu; Peter Dodek; Amy Salmon; Heather Leitch; Shannon Ruzycki; Andrea Townson; Diane Lacaille

doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2021-050380

Cross-sectional survey on physician burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic in Vancouver, Canada: the role of gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation

BMJ Open. 2021 May 10;11(5):e050380. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-050380.

Authors

Nadia Khan^{1

2}, Anita Palepu^{3

2}, Peter Dodek³, Amy Salmon², Heather Leitch³, Shannon Ruzycki⁴, Andrea Townson³, Diane Lacaille⁵

Affiliations

¹ Medicine, The University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada nakhanubc@gmail.com.
² Center for Health Evaluation and Outcomes Sciences, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
³ Medicine, The University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
⁴ Department of Medicine, Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
⁵ Department of Medicine, Arthritis Research Canada, The University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of physician burnout during the pandemic and differences by gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation.

Design, setting and participants: We conducted a cross-sectional survey (August-October in 2020) of internal medicine physicians at two academic hospitals in Vancouver, Canada.

Primary and secondary outcomes: Physician burnout and its components, emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and personal accomplishment were measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory.

Results: The response rate was 38% (n=302/803 respondents, 49% women,). The prevalence of burnout was 68% (emotional exhaustion 63%, depersonalisation 39%) and feeling low personal accomplishment 22%. In addition, 21% reported that they were considering quitting the profession or had quit a position. Women were more likely to report emotional exhaustion (OR 2.00, 95% CI: 1.07 to 3.73, p=0.03) and feeling low personal accomplishment (OR 2.26, 95% CI: 1.09 to 4.70, p=0.03) than men. Visible ethnic minority physicians were more likely to report feeling lower personal accomplishment than white physicians (OR 1.81, 95% CI: 1.28 to 2.55, p=0.001). There was no difference in emotional exhaustion or depersonalisation by ethnicity or sexual orientation. Physicians who reported that COVID-19 affected their burnout were more likely to report any burnout (OR: 3.74, 95% CI: 1.99 to 7.01, p<0.001) and consideration of quitting or quit (OR: 3.20, 95% CI: 1.34 to 7.66, p=0.009).

Conclusion: Burnout affects 2 out of 3 internal medicine physicians during the pandemic. Women, ethnic minority physicians and those who feel that COVID-19 affects burnout were more likely to report components of burnout. Further understanding of factors driving feelings of low personal accomplishment in women and ethnic minority physicians is needed.

Keywords: COVID-19; general medicine (see internal medicine); human resource management; mental health; public health.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Burnout, Professional* / epidemiology
Burnout, Psychological
COVID-19*
Canada / epidemiology
Cross-Sectional Studies
Ethnicity
Female
Humans
Job Satisfaction
Male
Minority Groups
Pandemics
Physicians*
SARS-CoV-2
Sexual Behavior
Surveys and Questionnaires