Burnout, engagement and resident physicians' self-reported errors

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Occupational Health
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Burnout is a recognized occupational syndrome impacting healthcare professionals.
• Employee engagement is linked to positive work outcomes and patient care.
• The relationship between resident physician errors, burnout, and engagement requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between resident physician burnout, engagement, and self-reported medical errors.
• To explore factors influencing perceived errors in resident physicians' patient care practices.

Main Methods:

• A national study in The Netherlands surveyed 2115 resident physicians.
• Validated instruments measured burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory-Health and Social Services) and engagement (Utrecht Work Engagement Scale).
• Self-assessed patient care errors (action/judgment, lack of time) were evaluated.

Main Results:

• 94% of residents reported errors without negative consequences; 56% reported errors with negative consequences.
• Burned-out residents reported significantly more errors (p < 0.001).
• Highly engaged residents reported fewer errors (p ≤ 0.01).

Conclusions:

• Resident physicians perceive making frequent errors, impacting patient care quality.
• Preventing burnout and promoting engagement are vital strategies to reduce resident errors.
• Interventions should focus on resident well-being to enhance patient safety.