The prevalence of burnout, risk factors, and job‐related stressors in gastroenterologists: A systematic review

Abstract

Background and Aims Burnout is an important occupational hazard, and the scale of the problem within gastroenterology remains poorly understood. The primary objective of this study was to understand the prevalence of burnout in gastroenterology and ascertain if there was a common prevalence within the field. The secondary objective was to identify factors and job‐related stressors that commonly contribute to burnout in gastroenterologists. Methods Systematic searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and PsycINFO by two reviewers independently for articles published to 1 September 2020. The primary outcome measure was the reported prevalence of burnout in gastroenterologists. The secondary outcome measures were (i) the prevalence of non‐somatic burnout symptoms (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and low personal accomplishment) and (ii) the frequency of risk factors and stressors reported in studies. Data were presented, and limited meta‐analyses discussed. Results Data were extracted from 11 studies. 54.5% (6/11) of these studies reported the prevalence of burnout in gastroenterologists; this ranged from 18.3% to 64.4%. Similar to burnout prevalence, burnout symptoms showed geographical variation and were common in gastroenterologists (up to 63.9%). Factors associated with work volume, age, and female gender were the three most frequently reported risk factors for increased levels of stress and burnout in 72.7% (8/11), 54.5% (6/11), and 45.5% (5/11) of studies, respectively. Significant methodological and clinical heterogeneity was observed. Conclusions Burnout and its non‐somatic symptoms are common in gastroenterologists, but the syndrome is understudied within the field. Further research and good quality data are needed to help address the problem.

Burnout in Hospital-Based Healthcare Workers during COVID-19

“…For example, a meta-analysis shows that among nurses, men are at higher risk of burnout, 30 whereas among physicians, women may be at higher risk. 88 A meta-analysis found greater emotional exhaustion in women and greater depersonalization in men across disciplines, although both effects were small. 89…”

The impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on gastroenterologists in Southeast Asia: A mixed‐methods study

“…Nonetheless, the pooled burnout prevalence was found to be 17.1% although intercountry variability was observed; Singapore, Malaysia, and Brunei had higher burnout rates (30.3-35.1%), which would be similar to the UK (37.3%) if comparisons are made using the same detection tool and criteria for burnout. 17 Interestingly, Indonesia had the lowest burnout rates but the highest outpatient and inpatient volumes in the region (Table 1). Evidently, there are "soft" and complex factors that vary with geography, and these influence how clinicians perceive and cope with stress in the face of high workloads.…”

“…This study achieved the highest response for any study on burnout prevalence in the field of gastroenterology. 17 Interestingly, the majority of respondents were male, and this suggests that the speciality has a male predominance in certain Southeast Asian counties. Similar observations have been reported in Western countries; for example, 79.0% and 82.4% of all gastroenterologists are male in the UK and USA, respectively.…”

“…We previously observed within the speciality that stressors related to high work volumes and difficult relationships with colleagues were frequently reported, while stressors related to patient and relative relationships were less frequent in current literature. 17 This observation in Southeast Asia may be due to a complex combination of societal, racial, and cultural differences 23 ; Southeast Asia is indeed diverse and home to over 20 ethnic groups. Further research in understanding doctor-patient relationships and patient-doctor expectations within the region would be beneficial.…”

“…Briefly, keywords that described stressors were grouped by conceptual analysis, according to commonly occurring themes previously identified through a systematic review. 17 All narrative data collected from the survey were reviewed and coded independently by JO and SO who then discussed the discrepancies until an agreement was reached. JO and SO have previous experience in studying stressors and their role in precipitating burnout.…”