Professional quality of life and burnout amongst radiation oncologists: The impact of alexithymia and empathy

Abstract

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The role of alexithymia and empathy on radiation therapists’ professional quality of life

“…It also stresses the importance of effective leadership style for those having managerial positions within the hospital, calling for initiatives to engage in developing selfawareness, enhancing effective communication, sharing vision and strategies, supporting team members, contributing in negotiation and problem-solving approaches [22]. The data we presented on the population of RTTs are in line with those observed for other radiation oncology professionals such as radiation oncologists and medical physicists, with comparable rates for burnout (25-30%), alexithymia (10-13%) and a similar distribution of the measures of empathy [12,23]. A negative correlation of alexithymia with professional well-being and a positive influence of empathy and supervisor's appreciation on compassion satisfaction were observed in all three categories.…”

“…The results show that 1 out of 4 (25.6%) RTT participating in the survey had high scores in the burnout scale of the ProQoL, reported on feeling of distress and gaps in the professional well-being, similarly to the population of radiation oncologist previously reported on [12].The findings for RTT, even though reporting significant rates of burnout in the cohort, highlight lower levels compared to those available in the literature. As an example, the US RT workforce survey identified up to 53% of the particpants with high levels of burnout in the emotional exhaustion domain [8].…”

“…The PROject on Burn-Out in RadiatioN Oncology (PRO BONO) was set up to explore the professional quality of life amongst radiation oncology professionals and to explore the potential correlation with alexithymia and empathy [12]. The present study reports on the data obtained from the population of RTTs.…”

Professional quality of life and burnout among medical physicists working in radiation oncology: The role of alexithymia and empathy

“…The scale has shown good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha: ≥ 0.70) and test-retest reliability [15].…”

“…Based on these observations, the PROject on Burn-Out in RadiatioN Oncology (PRO BONO) was carried out to assess the professional QoL, including burnout, amongst radiation oncology professionals and to explore the potential relationships with alexithymia and empathy [15]. The present report focuses on the population of MPs, trying to fill the knowledge gap about this professional category.…”