Abstract
Context
Palliative Care (PC) physicians are vulnerable to burnout given the nature of practice.
Reports suggest that burnout frequency is variable across different countries.
Objective
The main objective of our study was to determine knowledge, attitudes and frequency
of burnout among Hospice and Palliative Medicine (HPM) Fellowship graduates trained
at a comprehensive cancer center.
Methods
We conducted a survey to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and frequency of burnout
in former fellows, consisting of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and 41 custom
questions. Palliative care fellows who trained at a Comprehensive Cancer Center from
2008 to 2018 were included in the survey.
Results
Eighty-four percent of the 52 eligible physicians completed surveys. Median age was
38 years, with 68% females. Seventy-seven percent practiced PC more than 50% of time.
Median practice duration was four years, and 84% were board certified. Most common
disease types treated were cancer (89%), cardiac (43%) and pulmonary (43%). Burnout
rate was high at 52% (n=20). The median scores for emotional exhaustion were 25.5, depersonalization 9, and
personal accomplishment 48. Female gender (P=0.07) and having administration as a component in the job description (P=0.044) were associated with risk of burnout. Clinical care setting, work hours/week,
frequency of weekend calls, and size of team were not significantly associated with
burnout.
Conclusion
Burnout among former fellows trained in HPM between 2008 and 2018 is high. More research
is needed to develop strategies to better prevent and manage burnout among HPM fellowship
trained PC physicians.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: February 17, 2022
Accepted:
February 2,
2022
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
